Pro-Poor Tourism in Kumarakom, Kerala, South India: Policy Implementation and Impacts

Even though the world is coming through a global economic crisis, the tourism industry is still expected to keep booming at an impressive rate of almost 10%. By predicting that the figure of 1 billion international travelers will probably be hit in 2010, it is clear that this sector has impacts on peoples’ lives, especially those living in developing countries where tourism is seen as a great opportunity to generate income. However, because of the way the industry is ruled, tourism did not bring the expected economic benefits to local communities. In many ways, tourism has been harmful not only to the environment, but also to social structures. It is important that the authorities must redesign their tourism policies toward a more sustainable and responsible direction.