Kerala tourism has been conferred the top United Nations Award for its global leadership in creating innovative initiatives for sustainable tourism, the first time India has ever won the recognition.
Kerala Tourism walked away with the top honours at the annual United Nations World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO ) Awards for Excellence and innovation in Tourism presented on January 22 -2014 in Madrid, the capital of Spain. Kerala Tourism was awarded for its path-breaking' Responsible Tourism ' project in Kumarakom, which has successfully linked the local community with the hospitality industry and government departments, thereby creating a model for empowerment and development of the people in the area while sustaining eco - friendly tourism
