Responsible/Sustainable Tourism
Mrinalika and Akshita are focussed on ensuring that The Belgadia Palace is high in terms of responsible tourism. This has earned them the Champion for Community Tourism Award as part of Travel and Leisure’s India’s Best Awards 2022.
No Single Use Plastic: The property has banned single use plastic, and are trying to phase out using any plastic containers. Glass water bottles with safe filtered drinking water are kept in the room; personal water bottles given to guests for outside excursions. Refillable haircare and skincare dispensers are in all guest rooms.
Safe Garbage Disposal: Waste is segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste and three compost pits are being used for creation of manure. The attempt is to create less to zero waste. This translated into using recycled and upcycled furniture and interiors, and using sustainable building materials – local brick, mortar lime was used towards the construction.
Water Conservation: Low flush toilets and sustainable sanitation and water management practices are in place.
Energy Efficiency: Energy efficient lighting and appliances are in place.
Nature and Biological Diversity Conservation: There is emphasis on nutrition farming through integrated pest management and integrated nutrition management, which is all organic and made by recycling and manufacturing on site by dedicated staff. This entails using ‘amrut jal’ and other zero budget natural farming techniques. This also leads to preserving and creating awareness on local flora, practicing edible landscaping with restoration and rehabilitation of indigenous and certain exotic species, and removing invasive species that may kill 100-year-old plant species. A large variety of plants are grown on the property – a 100-year-old bamboo plantation, golden asafoetida, clove, many species of mangoes, including alphonso, and other fruit bearing trees like sitaphal, ramphal, lychee, papayas and bananas.
Local Community Engagement: The palace is sensitive to its relationship with the local community. Youth from local community are hired and skilled so that the economic benefits of tourists coming in accrue to the community. Partnerships include those with a local tribal contemporary artist, collaborations with colleges to create awareness on sustainable practices.
Light Footprint Tourism: There is a low ratio of room to land (about 7 acres of land). When cyclone Fani hit in 2019, the debris from the destruction, such as tree and foliage were used for composting, while fallen branches were turned into tables, chairs and reused to make the boundary wall. The property is working toward creating a sustainable ‘farm to table’ concept and a model that can be replicated by others. Food produce is sourced locally from the local market and from the farms within the property.
Sensitive Destination Discovery: The family at The Belgadia Palace are keen on putting Mayurbhanj and its surroundings on the tourism map but with guidelines based on responsible tourism.
Heritage Preservation: There is emphasis on preserving heritage by promoting local festivals, and arts and crafts such as Dokra and Chhau – a martial arts dance form. Life sized pattachitra frames adorn the living rooms of the palace. Mayurbhanj Chhau dance, an ancient dance form, is still being practiced. Belgadia has tied up with an NGO promoting the dance form for guests to experience the folk music and dance. Guests are encouraged to visit the handicraft villages and engage with communities and purchase goods.
Human Touch: The Mayurbhanj Foundation has been created to touch the lives of 100,000 people in the district in the fields of education, livelihood and health, sports and the arts. To promote business and provide an alternative livelihood from eco-tourism, the Foundation has tied up with local communities such as Project Chhauni, Chuliaposi Handloom School, Mayurbhanj Art Foundation, Sabai Grass Communities (SHG), Leper Colony, Dokra Handicraft Villages. This provides them direct access to tourists without any middle man with 100% profits going back to communities. (Mayurbhanj Foundation keeps a percentage of revenue earmarked for social and environmental projects for the benefit of the local community throughout the year).
