In the country’s first initiative to empower women entrepreneurship in the tourism industry, the Government of Kerala has come up with a scheme to subsidize 4% interest on loans provided by the Kerala State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) to women-led businesses registered with the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society (KRTMS).
The government has given an administrative sanction of ₹ 4 crore for the implementation of the project. Interest subsidy will be provided by the tourism department through KRTMS to all beneficiaries including those belonging to SC/ST, minority and general category communities. The subsidy will be eligible up to ₹ 15 lakh even if the loan amount exceeds it.
The State Budget 2025-26 has made it clear that 50% of the allocation for Responsible Tourism (RT) activities will be used for women empowerment. According to KRTMS CEO Rupeshkumar K., the initiative envisages creating a network of women involved in various tourism-related businesses and services.
RT’s mission plays a key role in strengthening a gender-inclusive and sustainable tourism model that also counts on socially and economically stronger local communities, he added.
Published – 07 Nov 2025 17:32 IST
