The Union Tourism Ministry has ready a draft roadmap to create rural tourism in India and has invited recommendations from several stakeholders, which includes all state governments and administrations of Union Territories. The Draft National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India recognises the big prospective that rural tourism in the nation holds. Driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “vocal for local” mantra, the government hopes the new roadmap can substantially contribute to its Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission.
The draft technique has laid emphasis on a couple of essential elements of tourism such as model policies and ideal practices, digital technologies and platforms, building clusters, advertising assistance, developing capacity of stakeholders, governance and institutional framework.
In a written reply to Lok Sabha on Monday, Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy mentioned recognising rural tourism’s prospective, the ministry had identified the rural circuit as a thematic circuit for development below its Swadesh Darshan Scheme. The scheme aims to leverage tourism as a force multiplier to revitalise the rural economy. It also aims to provide vacationers — each domestic and international — a glimpse of the country’s rural elements.
The ministry has also come up with a number of initiatives to enhance domestic tourism following the devastation the sector has faced in the aftermath of Covid-19. The ministry will organise Dekho Apna Desh webinars via which it hopes to rebuild trust of travellers following Covid-19. It will also conduct aerial photography of the country’s cultural assets and essential cities throughout lockdown and market tourism in India via campaigns across digital platforms.
The ministry will also hold frequent consultations with business stakeholders on reopening the sector and also deal with vacationers, the security and safety protocols as effectively as services requirements.
The tourism sector was amongst the worst hit by Covid-19 as lockdowns forced folks to keep home. Even right after lockdowns have been lifted, concern more than security and sanitation continue to hold travellers back from hitting the roads.