from all the State Governments/UT Administrations.
Rural Tourism is any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations.
It benefits the local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience.
Driven by the spirit of “Vocal for Local”, rural tourism can contribute significantly to the mission of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The Ministry of Tourism has identified Rural Circuit as one of the thematic circuits under Swadesh Darshan Scheme
What is the focus of the strategy?
It focuses on the key pillars like
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.
What is the Potential/Significance of Rural Tourism in India?
The concept of Rural Tourism is useful for India since almost 74% of the population resides in its 7 million villages.
Numerous local traditions like plays, art forms, dances etc. enhance the cultural wealth of rural areas, making these attractive for the tourists.
Lush green forests in south Indian villages, sacred groves etc. make them an ideal site to promote tourism.
It could provide jobs to many young men and women who otherwise are increasingly migrating to cities.
Socially, it can open the rural mindset to new thoughts and ideas from the outside world. For the urban citizen, a few days spent amidst traditional rural lifestyle may prove to be a great stress reliever.
