ICRT India

What ICRT India does

ICRT India Foundation is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2017 and registered in 2022, headquartered in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. It operates as the Indian chapter of the global International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) network and was co-founded under the leadership of Professor Harold Goodwin of the Responsible Tourism Partnership. The organization promotes responsible tourism (RT) practices across India by connecting grassroots community practitioners, state tourism boards, tour operators, and conscious travelers through a membership-based network organized into four regional zones (North, South, East, West).

The organization's core offerings include the annual India Responsible Tourism Awards (aligned with WTM London's World Responsible Tourism Awards), field-based certified training courses, webinars and workshops, RT Marts and roadshows, and consultative support for destinations. Products include the ICRT India Network, India Responsible Tourism Awards, RT Training Courses, RT Conferences and Events, and the Village Life Experience tour package model (developed under the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission). There is no proprietary technology platform; the underlying infrastructure is a human-led network rather than a software product.

As a not-for-profit, ICRT India has no commercial pricing model. Its operating model is funded through grants, membership fees, and partner contributions, with distribution executed via state tourism board partnerships (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra), an MOU with the Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), and a formal association with Fairfest Media (organizers of TTF and OTM). Customer segments comprise state tourism governments (primary), village communities and grassroots practitioners (primary), tourism businesses and tour operators, and conscious travelers.

Name

ICRT India

Legal name

ICRT India Foundation

Website

https://icrtindia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICRT India Foundation is a not-for-profit network organization, founded in 2017 and registered in 2022 in Bhopal, that promotes responsible tourism across India through advocacy, training, awards, and policy engagement. It connects grassroots community practitioners, state tourism boards, and tour operators via four regional zones.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Responsible Tourism Advocacy

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Experiential & Cultural Programming (Tours, Activities, CSR/Voluntourism) (THAHADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community-Based & Indigenous-Led Ecotourism (THAAAEAH)

Keywords

• Responsible tourism advocacy
• Sustainable tourism training
• Community-based tourism
• Tourism policy development
• Tourism awards program

Headquarters

HQ city

Bhopal

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ICRT India Foundation operates a membership-based network promoting responsible tourism in India by connecting grassroots practitioners, village communities, tour operators, and state tourism boards. It delivers an annual India Responsible Tourism Awards program, field-based certified training courses, webinars, RT Marts and roadshows in major tourist cities, and advocacy support for state-level responsible tourism policy such as the Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra Responsible Tourism Missions.

Product overview

ICRT India Foundation offers a portfolio of services centered on promoting and advancing responsible tourism in India. The core offering is the ICRT India Network, a membership-based community organized across four regional zones. This is complemented by the India Responsible Tourism Awards program (conducted annually since 2016), field-based training courses and webinars, conferences and events (RT Marts, roadshows), and consultative support for destinations. The network connects grassroots practitioners with policymakers, provides marketing and training resources, and publishes responsible tourism practices across India.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICRT India Network
• India Responsible Tourism Awards
• Responsible Tourism Training Courses
• Responsible Tourism Conferences and Events
• Village Life Experience Tour Packages

Quantifiable outcome

• Kerala RT Mission won UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovations in Public Policy and Governance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Madhya Pradesh Tourism BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022ICRT India partnered with Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, under the leadership of Manoj Kumar Singh (Head of Skill and Training), to work with the state tourism board and create possibilities for incorporating Responsible Practices in mainstream tourism activities. Manoj Kumar Singh initiated the Responsible Tourism Mission Policy in the state.
• Maharashtra Tourism BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022ICRT India partnered with Maharashtra state tourism board to work on incorporating responsible practices in mainstream tourism activities and create more possibilities for responsible tourism implementation.
• Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022MOU signed in 2022 with ADTOI to expand reach through tour operators and travel agencies. This partnership helps connect ICRT India's responsible tourism initiatives with mainstream tourism operators in India.
• Fairfest MediacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022ICRT India formally associated with Fairfest media (organisers of TTF and OTM) in 2022 to help promote the awards conducted by ICRT in India as part of the Global Responsible Tourism awards announced at WTM London.
• Responsible Tourism Partnership (RTP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017ICRT India was founded with Professor Harold Goodwin of the Responsible Tourism Partnership, who serves as World Travel Market's Responsible Tourism Advisor. RTP runs the World Responsible Tourism Awards and associated regional awards in Africa, India, and Latin America.
• ICRT GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017ICRT India Foundation was founded as part of the ICRT (International Centre for Responsible Tourism) global network, which promotes responsible tourism worldwide. India ICRT Awards are part of the global responsible tourism awards family.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI): National association representing India's domestic tour operators, with which ICRT India signed an MOU in 2022. Comparable as an industry membership body operating in India's tourism ecosystem with overlapping practitioner audiences.
• Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI): Indian industry association of adventure tour operators focused on responsible and sustainable adventure tourism. Comparable as a member-driven Indian tourism association promoting operator-side best practices and standards.
• Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI): Oldest national trade body representing travel agents and tour operators in India. Comparable as a peer Indian tourism association with overlapping travel trade membership and policy advocacy role.
• Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO): Largest national association of outbound and inbound tour operators in India. Comparable as a peer Indian tourism industry body whose members overlap with ICRT India's tour-operator audience.
• ICRT Global (International Centre for Responsible Tourism): Global parent network of which ICRT India Foundation is the India chapter; runs professional courses and an international RT practitioner network. Directly comparable in mission, leadership (Harold Goodwin), and training/advocacy model.
• Responsible Tourism Partnership (RTP): UK-based parent organization co-founded by Harold Goodwin that runs the World Responsible Tourism Awards and regional awards in Africa, India, and Latin America. Directly comparable as the source network of which ICRT India is the India chapter, sharing leadership and the WTM awards platform.

Others

• World Travel Market (WTM): Major global travel trade exhibition organizer (Reed Exhibitions) that hosts the World Responsible Tourism Awards at WTM London and regional events. Not a direct peer but a key enabling platform and distribution partner through which ICRT India gains international visibility.

Broad incumbents

• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC): Global standards-setting body for sustainable tourism, establishing criteria used by destinations and certification programs worldwide. Comparable as a broader, well-funded incumbent operating in the same RT standards and certification space ICRT India aspires to occupy in India.
• Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA): Regional tourism association covering Asia-Pacific that awards and promotes sustainable tourism initiatives (PATA Gold & Grand awards have recognized ICRT India-affiliated projects). Comparable as a larger incumbent operating in RT advocacy, awards, and capacity building across the same geography.

Regional players

• Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission: State-government program led by Rupesh Kumar (ICRT India's coordinator) that pioneered community-based village tourism in India. Comparable as a focused responsible-tourism operating model at sub-national level that ICRT India both supports and partially overlaps with.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/ICRTIndia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icrt-india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ICRT India