Community-based tourism entrepreneurship initiative launched in Udupi district

The initiative envisages connecting tourists with local micro tourism entrepreneurs and women SHG members

The Udupi Zilla Panchayat has taken up an initiative to promote tourism with local participation so as to encourage local entrepreneurship and empower members of women self help groups.

The community-based tourism (CBT), the brainchild of ZP CEO Y. Naveen Bhat, intends to introduce various local art forms, practices and farming activities to tourists to enable them get a first-hand experience of the local activities.

The first cohort of these CBT entrepreneurs was launched at Malpe in Udupi on Sunday by “PlaceXplore Lab,” a tourism incubator that was hosted by The Urban Vision, Red Dot Foundation Global, Udupi Tourism, the ZP, and Mangaluru City Corporation with support from Vital Voices Fortune Mentoring Program of the United States Department of State.

The organisers said CBT intends to provide tourists the experience of authentic cultural exchange thereby supporting locally-led projects directly benefiting the community and tourists as well. Udupi as well as Dakshina Kannada have a range of micro tourism entrepreneur initiatives, from surf schools to fishing tours, local articans of coconut, pottery, bamboo weaving etc., Yakshagana, eco-tours etc. Women from National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), who were trained in self employment through the ZP were also part of the start-up lab.

NRLM Udupi District Officer Prabhakar Acharya told The Hindu that the Mission was mentoring Sanjeevini Kala Sinchana comprising artists of Yakshagana, Bharatanatyam, Pardhana, Shiva Thandava, Paddy Beating, Chande etc. They would be connected to hospitality industry, at present led by the Welcomegroup of Hotel Administration and Paradise Group of Resorts.

PlaceXplore Lab has developed a Digital Market Place with a website and an App that connects tourists to local CBT entrepreneurs and tourism visitors to Udupi and DK Districts. This is being launched as pilot at the moment which will includes training for local micro entrepreneurs in digital skills.

Mr. Achar said NRLM was also training SHG members to become tourist guides, whose services could be availed by tourists on demand. Developing tourism circuits of specialities, including Mattu Gulla, fallow land cultivation at Shivapura, etc., was also being done. Mr. Achar said the initiative was the first of its kind in Karnataka.