Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty 
Raipur: Given that more and more newer areas of environmentally fragile states like Chhattisgarh are becoming a part of the country’s expanding tourist map, eco tourism is often talked about as the preferred route to sustain tourism in such regions. Organisations like the New Delhi-based Responsible Tourism Society of India (RSTOI) have, however, been arguing that the term, eco-tourism, itself needs an overhaul in order to create room for what they call responsible tourism. The umbrella of responsible tourism can then encompass players even in the cities to adopt sustainable practices which can contribute towards shaping a zero-waste tourism industry.
Rakesh Mathur, RSTOI co-founder and a veteran from the industry with several decades of experience in the hotel business, batted for such practices for Indian tourism industry as a whole at the recent Chhattisgarh Green Summit, 2024, organised by the state’s forest department this past week in Raipur with the support of Vibgyor North East Foundation.
In an interview with The Wire, Mathur underlined that even small interventions could go a long way in creating an eco-friendly tourism industry in India. As an example, he pointed out that the practice of keeping bins in taxis in Leh-Ladakh by the cab drivers and ensuring that the tourists they ferry around do not throw out any wrappers and plastic, as per a recommendation made by the RSTOI to the Union Territory’s administration.
Excerpts from the interview:
Though your organisation was born in 2008 as Ecotourism Society of India, it later changed its name to Responsible Tourism Society of India (RSTOI). What was need for a change of the nomenclature?
Let me start by saying that when we say eco tourism, the first image that comes to one’s mind is mountains, jungles, beaches and waterways… something that is very overtly linked to the ecology of a place, to the environment, nature. But we have realised over time that it can’t just be about sustainability of the pristine areas; sustainable practice is equally important for city properties, luxury properties, the five-star hotels, the top chains located in our cities. That is one reason why we decided to change our name.
Secondly, in the last few years, we saw several cases of sexual assault, etc. on female tourists; it brings a very bad name to Indian tourism as a whole. With the help of an NGO, we put together a code of conduct for safe and honourable tourism. The change of name was also because of that vertical we could add to make tourism responsible in India.
Thirdly, there is a large presence of unregistered accommodations for tourists in the country, like guest houses, small hotels, etc. The formal sector has certainly worked towards implementing sustainable practices, but what about the informal sector? Keeping that in mind, we recommended to the Union ministry of tourism that it [should] certify the operators in the informal sector. Though this is a challenging task, state governments are doing something but it needs a sustained effort. RSTOI also does its own certification for sustainable practices by tourism service providers.
The fourth reason why we adopted responsible tourism in our name is also because we promote local arts and culture and link tourism to the local communities.
A fifth reason is for our strong advocacy of support to the differently abled in terms of training and providing opportunities in our industry.
RSTOI had formulated eco tourism policy for states like Manipur and advised Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, etc. We have conducted 23 workshops in 18 states. As part of RSTOI recommendation, we see in Leh-Ladakh cab drivers carrying a bin in their vehicles and discouraging tourists from throwing any garbage elsewhere during their journey. It was a small but significant intervention by your organisation towards responsible tourism.
What about your recommendations to other states? Is there any way RSTOI does follow-up of the policies it designs for states on eco-tourism and waste management?
The Manipur government had approached us to tailor an eco tourism policy back in, I think, 2010-11. We evolved the policy; conducted a two-day conference in Imphal and put together a white paper on it. After we’ve done our job, it is then the job of the state government to take it forward; pass it in the assembly and implement it. We are a non-profit organisation; we don’t have a large set-up to do such follow-ups. It is for the respective states to show interest in it. Leh-Ladakh showed interest; about the dust bins in cabs, we trained the taxi drivers on the need for waste management to sustain tourism in their own states; it worked.
Whether states implement our suggestions or not, we keep on doing what we are doing.
Like you have mentioned, RSTOI has been advising the Ministry of Tourism from time to time on sustainable and responsible tourism. Can you talk about any particular recommendation/s here and whether any of it has been implemented by the ministry?
As mentioned earlier, we have recommended that the ministry adopt the code of conduct we have put together for safe and honourable tourism. We had made that recommendation in 2010. Around the same time, we had also helped in evolving the sustainable tourism criteria in India. That too was recommended to the ministry then. Both these recommendations have been adopted and need implementation.
You have been quite vocal about the need for the Indian tourism industry to adopt strict codes of waste management, particularly about single-use plastic. India is promoting destination weddings but you also point out the large quantity of waste that those events produce.
Yes, it is a matter of big concern, particularly of single-use plastic. Huge amount of single-use plastic glasses and 200 ml plastic water bottles are used everyday in hotels, restaurants and dhabas in the country; imagine the amount of bio non-degradable waste we are producing. It should be banned at the manufacturing level. Instead of using such products, hotels and resorts should now go back to water dispensers, set up waste treatment units. Each destination wedding produces tons of plastic and throwaways. You have to see it to believe it. There is alternative to it. There are now products in the market that are bio-degradable. It may cost a few rupees extra but for sustainability of Mother Earth, for our future generations, we should adopt such measures.
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Also, climate change is affecting all sectors including the Indian tourism industry. How concerned are you about it?
All interventions of RSTOI for responsible tourism is geared towards creating a situation where we can avert the adverse effects of climate change in the industry. RSTOI has crafted a responsible tourism pledge and a charter for tourism service providers. Even small interventions matter. For instance, use of staple pins in letters. Have we thought that each pin can be used only once? These pins are made of pure steel; no one collects these pins for recycling; think of the amount of steel we are wasting; such practices are not sustainable. Look at water service in restaurants. As per RSTOI recommendation, many restaurants now don’t serve water without asking and that too half a glass so that it’s not wasted.
How effective are initiatives like the Green Summit held in Chhattisgarh last week in creating awareness about the need for responsible tourism among the masses? You had spoken in the Summit about the need to align responsible tourism to the larger goal of protecting environment.
These initiatives are good for information exchange with common people, particularly among students; I saw a sizeable participation of students in the summit. But what can be really effective is putting together all the valuable recommendations made by stakeholders in the form of a white paper, and ensure that willing politicians and lawmakers take them forward.
RSTOI is quite vocal about its opposition to building bungalows in the sea at Lakshwadeep. Why is it so?
It is because the corals are alive; it is like a forest under sea. If bungalows are allowed to be built in the sea, the corals would be affected. That is why, we opposed it and took it up to the level of the prime minister’s office.
Any response from the government on the matter?
Not yet.
Biodiversity rich fragile zones like the Northeast and Chhattisgarh are increasingly opening up to tourism. However, more and more, what we see is even these states’ emphasis is on building large luxurious resorts and hotels to promote tourism in these areas. Do you think eco tourism instead should be the primary approach in these zones?
It depends on the specific areas. For instance, if it is in a city like Guwahati or Raipur, there is no harm in having large luxurious concrete set-ups. But in bio-diversity hotspots areas like Kaziranga, there is no need for such structures. Our motto should be comfort and clean and hygienic accommodation over luxury in such areas. What we must remember is, it is Kaziranga which has to choose a visitor, not the other way around. If a certain tourist can’t do without luxury, then ecologically fragile zones like Kaziranga is not for such a person. That person should go elsewhere. What we need to promote is to build structures using local material, promote local food and local cultures. That is truly sustainable tourism. It is very essential to have building codes for the sensitive areas.