Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Tourism will invest Rs 9 crore, as first tranche of funding, in 'Barrier Free Kerala' project, which aims to make the state a 100 per cent accessible friendly tourism destination by 2021.
The Department of Tourism will team up with the state's award-winning Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission to convert 126 destinations barrier free by December in the first phase.
The state receives about 1.57 crore tourists, including one million international visitors, every year.
It is estimated that about one per cent of these tourists are differently-abled.
Under the 'Barrier Free Kerala Tourism' project, existing and upcoming tourism spots will be elevated into barrier free destinations by developing accessible friendly infrastructure and tour packages, P Bala Kiran, director, Kerala Tourism said.
Specially designed ramps, wheel chairs, special restrooms and better facilities will be set up in all the accessible friendly tourism destinations. A special arrangement will be made for physically challenged to ensure better food quality and thereby promoting accessible tourism infrastructure.
Auditing of the destinations will be carried out, more guides will be trained in sign language and travel information will be recorded for the differently-abled.
The RT mission has been entrusted to develop guidelines for making destinations, accommodation units as barrier free and accessible friendly tour packages.
The 'Barrier Free Kerala' project will be inaugurated by tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran on Wednesday at the Accessible Tourism Workshop, jointly held by the Kerala Tourism and RT Mission at Apollo Dimora Hotel in the capital.
