What is in a name ?
Yes. There is something in a NAME.
I happened to encounter this question many times especially in connection with my PhD work; from my proposal defense to the very last day.
Yesterday, I happened present the mentioned theme in front of a panel consists of four former vice chancellors, three historians and one principal secretary from the Government of Kerala. The question asked by the panel chair was What responsibility are saying with the so called concept "Responsible Tourism (RT)", while mentioning on KUMARAKOM-the Global RT Lab and the RT Destination by UNWTO and boasting on. Subsequently, I felt like the entire panel is showering embarrassment up on me, being the Chair was a native of Kumarakom and bear all the burnt of Tourism especially the catastrophic environmental consequences. Even-though I felt the same even when running pillar to post as part of my research study, how could I dare to disown an ideologue I studied and explored for the last seven years. My humble, simple and profound propaganda only deteriorated the circumstances. As a bolt from blues, another eminent panelist put the last nail to my coffin asking are you trying dressing the window with jargon which exists only in concepts. The laughter followed of intellectual think tanks still grills my ears. I had to push off anyway with utter despair.
While on the way back to my town, I was pondering over. Near to me a gentle man with great gestures wished me. He was a senior official in an MNC in to food and beverages. While progressing our conversation I inquired about a well known brand which has been disappeared from the market a few years ago. To my surprise, the product is still in the market with same content but with a different NAME and with a more market share. He strategically pointed out the ideology of theirs, mushrooming same product under different brands in order to survive business even-if the one is falling down.
My gut feeling again popped up an answer to the questions of the eminent panelists. Many NAMES at a time to rebrand, restart, and revive. Old wine in a new bottle to create new legends. ECO TOURISM, GREEN TOURISM, SUSTAINABLE TOURISM, RESPONSIBLE TOURISM, NATURE TOURISM AND SO ON.
When government spends crores of rupees for same purpose under different names; time has exceeded to converge and integrate same concepts owned my many fathers !
Click below to see more on Responsible Tourism Debates
http://fillthelacuna.blogspot.com/2018/10/responsible-tourism-sustainable-tourism.html
(The writer is a Ph.D in Management and an independent researcher)
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