Mamallapuram first in India to achieve Green Destination benchmark

Chennai: The fabled Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram, known for its UNESCO World Heritage site, near here, is all set to become India’s first Green Destination.

The final award of Mamallapuram will be formally announced and presented after an audit in a couple of months and this will make it the first World Heritage Site in the Asia Pacific region to achieve this benchmark, an official said on Saturday.

Green Destinations based in The Netherlands is a Global Sustainable Tourism Council accredited certification body which supports sustainable destinations, their businesses and their communities.

So far, 122 destinations in the world have been awarded the certification by Global Destinations.

The certification project of Mamallapuram was fully financed by MAMAT Trust under Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham as part of their efforts to accolade Indian culture and heritage.