Rural Tourism
A BRIEF ANALYSIS
ON THE STATUS OF
RURAL TOURISM IN INDIA
REFERENCE: GIMRM024
Table of Contents
Abstract 2
Initiatives 6
Issues Faced 8
Infrastructure 10
Finance 11
Impact 12
The Way Forward 13
Bibligography 14
ABSTRACT
Tourism is one of the primary catalysts in generating sustainable livelihood in India. India’s vast rural diversity and heritage offers tremendous opportunity for rural tourism. The idea of rural tourism was born out of the need to provide first-hand experience of living in rural areas to the urban population and also as supplementary income for the local population. The Ministry of Tourism in its Outcome Budget for 2011-2012 has emphasized on the need of giving greater focus to rural tourism with the objective of creating employment, with specific emphasis on the upliftment of the status of women and to encourage local arts and handicraft. Rural tourism has the potential of carrying the additional burden of uplifting poverty and reducing migration towards urban areas. This research paper aims at studying the status of rural tourism in India, looking into some initiatives that have already been undertaken, both by the Ministry (The Choti Haldwani Project at the foothills of Nainital) and by organisations (NGO ViaDesh, Delhi and Himalayan Homestays, Ladakh) in different parts of India and the way forward. The paper concentrates on the following major areas:
1) Initiatives undertaken
2) Problems faced while trying to establish such initiatives
3) Infrastructure developed for this purpose
4) The finances involved
5) The impact of such initiatives
6) Its co-relation with eco-tourism and agri-tourism
7) Future plans
The government of India along with UN Development Programme (UNDP) has drafted policies and implemented some on the same lines by associating and granting funds to NGOs. Rural tourism will go a long way in realising some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) laid out by the UNDP, to be
ON THE STATUS OF
RURAL TOURISM IN INDIA
REFERENCE: GIMRM024
Table of Contents
Abstract 2
Initiatives 6
Issues Faced 8
Infrastructure 10
Finance 11
Impact 12
The Way Forward 13
Bibligography 14
ABSTRACT
Tourism is one of the primary catalysts in generating sustainable livelihood in India. India’s vast rural diversity and heritage offers tremendous opportunity for rural tourism. The idea of rural tourism was born out of the need to provide first-hand experience of living in rural areas to the urban population and also as supplementary income for the local population. The Ministry of Tourism in its Outcome Budget for 2011-2012 has emphasized on the need of giving greater focus to rural tourism with the objective of creating employment, with specific emphasis on the upliftment of the status of women and to encourage local arts and handicraft. Rural tourism has the potential of carrying the additional burden of uplifting poverty and reducing migration towards urban areas. This research paper aims at studying the status of rural tourism in India, looking into some initiatives that have already been undertaken, both by the Ministry (The Choti Haldwani Project at the foothills of Nainital) and by organisations (NGO ViaDesh, Delhi and Himalayan Homestays, Ladakh) in different parts of India and the way forward. The paper concentrates on the following major areas:
1) Initiatives undertaken
2) Problems faced while trying to establish such initiatives
3) Infrastructure developed for this purpose
4) The finances involved
5) The impact of such initiatives
6) Its co-relation with eco-tourism and agri-tourism
7) Future plans
The government of India along with UN Development Programme (UNDP) has drafted policies and implemented some on the same lines by associating and granting funds to NGOs. Rural tourism will go a long way in realising some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) laid out by the UNDP, to be
Bibliography: 1) Redefining Tourism - Experiences and Insights from Rural Tourism Projects in India (© Ministry of Tourism, Government of India / UNDP India 2008) 2) www.viadesh.com 3) www.himalayan-homestays.com 4) Performance of Tourism Sector during July 2011, Ministry of Tourism 5) Annual Report 2011 Ministry of Tourism 6) Equations Annual Report, 2009-2010