Minister for Tourism and Culture urges Heritage Sites to ensure sustainability benchmarks and quality experience: Accolades Green Destinations certification program for Mamallapuram

Chennai, India, 2024-Nov-28 — /Travel PR News/ — The Minister for Tourism and Culture, Government of India Shri. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that India is taking great steps in formulating national policies and programs for sustainable tourism development and conservation of cultural and heritage sites. Ensuring sustainability and quality experience in heritage sites is taken up as a priority by the government.

He lauded the achievement of Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) which got awarded as the first ‘Green Destinations Silver’ certified World Heritage Site in South Asia and asked to replicate the model in other heritage sites in the country. The Minister was inaugurating the ‘World Heritage Week’ and the felicitation of Mamallapuram’s achievement at Amrita Vishwavidhyapeetham Campus.

The Green Destinations Certification of Mamallapuram was funded by Mata Amritanandamayi Mandir Trust (MAMAT) under Amrita Vishwavidhyapeetham as part of their social responsibility initiatives towards the conservation of the country’s rich culture and heritage. MAMAT and Green Destinations signed an MOU for including Mamallapuram as a Founding Member of ‘Good Travel Alliance’ and for certification of further heritage destinations in India. The MOU was signed in the presence of Honorable Minister by Er. Mahesh G, Director (Projects) and Mr. Mahadevan P, Regional Coordinator for Green Destinations. Mr. Albert H Salman, President, Green Destinations addressed the event virtually. The partnership aims to implement monument certification through ‘Good Travel Seal’ for other World Heritage Sites in South India in the first phase.

Mamallapuram is the first destination in India and the first World Heritage Site in South Asia to receive Green Destinations Silver Award. The destination was also accoladed for its sustainable waste management efforts in the ‘Top 100 Sustainability Stories Awards’ last year. ‘Green Destinations’ based in The Netherlands is the world’s largest network of sustainable destinations which offers the highest achievable and most affordable certification. The certification program accredited since 2018 by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has awarded various levels of certification to 122 destinations across the world.