London: Tourism is not just for profit making .It should benefit the local people-said Kerala tourism Minister Kadakampallysurendren.He was addressing tourism seminar at Nehru centre on Wednesday.

The award given to Kumarakam for Responsible Tourism at the WTM London is an indication of the tourism ministry’s approach, mind-set and priority, he added.

Kumarakam village has developed a tourism culture where all the families within the village have started benefitting in one way or other.With the award it has been hailed as a rolemodel for responsible tourism.

In the area of education and health, Kerala is far ahead of other Indian states. Kerala has developed in every sector and that is reflected in the fact that the average life expectancy has risen from 40 years to 74 over a period of sixty years, he observed.The progress is particularly remarkable in the field of education and health care , the Minister said.

In his welcomingwords Srinivas Gotru,Minister and Director of Nehru Centre emphasised howKerala’s Tourism initiatives are being appreciated and stand out as significantly positive and innovative. The Seminar was organised by newsportal www.indiansabroad.co.uk

Dr.Cyriac Maprayil chief editor of indiansabroad who presided over the seminar on the theme: Kerala a unique Heritage and Cultural tourism destination said”although a lot of effort is being made to highlight and publicise Kerala as a suitable holiday destination for those in the West, much more can be done to project Kerala’s uniqueness with regard to its culture, heritage and, of course, its rich history;

Kerala’s scenic beauty, its backwaters and beaches and ancient tradition of Ayurvedic medicine are already world renowned.

Kerala customs and values are part of its intangible heritage which is to an extent dependent on the history and events of the past which have left their mark or affected our lives in some form or other. Kerala’s rich cultural heritage, with all its social, political, intellectual and spiritual dimensions is influenced by three main religions - Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.

When some Westerners, who are not sensitive to or ignorant of the rich complexities of the regions’ history, visit India, they tend to search for remnants of the footprints of European nations that invaded us, but they have not left too many of their footprints in Kerala.

With the right marketing, there is a great deal we can achieve, without having to wait for handouts from the central Government, especially since the state government and the centre government may not always see eye to eye due to ideological differences and political compulsions regardless of which party is in power at the centre.

Kerala has such a long history, heritage and culture, which is both special and unique in many respects. It should be adequately projected, publicised and marketed so that the world can visit and experience it and we in turn can benefit from it. If well-developed, the tourism industry can generate immense foreign exchange to develop our state to provide better social welfare provision including healthcare, education and job opportunities for future generations.

Dr.Jolly Jacob keynote speaker and a specialist on Kerala cultural tourism spoke about t its advantages and how it impacts on the economy and environment as a whole. Her recently published book on cultural tourism was released by Minister Surendran.

Laughton Mayor Philip Abraham, councillor Tom Aditya, a deputy mayor and Tony slater a board member of Krishna Menon Institute were the other speakers.

3rd Photo Indiansabroad chief editor Dr.Cyriac Maprayil (Extreme Right) and others with Minister Kadakampally Surendran at the Nehru Centre function