Ministry of Tourism has formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India- An initiative towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat

What is the news?

The Ministry of Tourism has formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India.

What is Rural Tourism?

Any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture, and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially.

It also enables interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience.

Strengths of Rural Tourism in India: a) Indian villages have unparalleled culture, craft, music, dance and heritage to offer to the visitors b) Expansion of road infrastructure has made most of the rural areas accessible c) Well-developed agriculture and farms to provide stay facilities and d) Beautiful climate conditions and Biodiversity among others.

Weaknesses of Rural Tourism in India: 1) Lack of prioritization for rural tourism at the State and National level 2) Poor profiling of rural product offerings 3) Poor tourism supporting infrastructure including ICT in rural areas 4) Lack of tourism awareness and skills in rural areas and 5) Poor resource allocation.

What is the National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India?

Aim: To prioritize rural tourism at national level. It further aims at convergence of various schemes addressing issues such as poverty, empowerment of women and strengthening the economic status of the rural people.

Key Pillars: The strategy document focuses on the following key pillars:

– Model policies and best practices for rural tourism

– Digital technologies and platforms for rural tourism

– Developing clusters for rural tourism

–  Marketing support for rural tourism

– Capacity building of stakeholders

– Governance and institutional framework

Source: This post is based on the article “Ministry of Tourism has formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India- An initiative towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat” published in PIB on 8th Feb 2022.