A cottage in Machli, Sindhudurg. file | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Mattur is a village in Karnataka where the residents speak only in Sanskrit. Machli in Maharashtra is an agricultural home surrounded by coconut, arecanut and banana plantations. The Bishnoi village of Rajasthan is frequently visited by the endangered Great Indian Bustard. These are destinations where tourists can immerse themselves in the rural tourism experience that the government is now developing.
The Central Nodal Agency – Rural Tourism and Rural Homestay (CNA – RT&RH), which is the coordinating body between the Centre, States and other stakeholders, has identified six specific destinations, including agri-tourism, art and culture, for tourists wishing to visit rural India. Identified experiences. Ecotourism, Wild Life, Tribal Tourism and Homestay. More than 134 villages have been listed, each of which offers unique experiences to the tourists. The list will only grow.
For example, Kolukkumalai in Tamil Nadu is the highest tea garden in the world; Kerala’s Devalokam is a riverside yoga centre; Nagaland’s Konyak Tea Retreat takes visitors on a journey into tribal culture; Pochampally village of Telangana showcases its traditional weaving techniques; And Pragpur village of Himachal Pradesh introduces tourists to Kangra heritage architecture.
As an experience, tourists can sample local cuisine, see how crops are grown, participate in textile weaving, practice and perform folk arts, and hike on nature trails while staying within the community Let’s go
sustainable tourism
The focus of this rural push is sustainability, avoiding large scale infrastructure development and without private sector involvement. Instead, a senior tourism ministry official said efforts would be made to link local resources and communities to provide a unique organic experience. This will increase employment opportunities in the villages.
The Union Ministry of Tourism is in the process of formulating a budget, in which some training modules at the district level are 100% centrally funded, and other aspects are 60% centrally and 40% state funded.
While consolidated data on global rural tourism trends is lacking, US-based market research firm Grand View Research estimates that agritourism alone will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4% from 2022 to 2030.
village group
Nodal officer, CNA-RT&RH, Kamakshi Maheshwari said, an important part of the strategy to promote rural sites would be to identify clusters of about five to seven villages. A cluster will provide more tourist attraction than rural tourism projects from isolated villages over long distances. It can also help in marketing the local products of a cluster of villages through craft markets.
The central nodal agency has asked the states to identify both individual and clusters of villages with high potential for tourism development. The government is also looking at Rurban Clusters of the Ministry of Rural Development, where a cluster of villages with potential for development has been identified. The Ministry of Rural Development has also been asked to explore the possibility of creating assets for tourist infrastructure under MGNREGA.
The government is also exploring organic farming areas developed under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Mission Organic Value Chain Development in North East Region (MOVCD-NER) for development as rural tourism destinations.
The National Strategy Document for Rural Tourism states, “Rural tourism can not only revive local arts and crafts and prevent viable traditional businesses from being displaced, but it can also lead to the redevelopment of rural areas and the revitalization of rural life.” It will also help in generating employment and new business opportunities.
The Ministry of Tourism is also working on introducing state evaluation and ranking criteria to promote competition and help reach the broader objectives of promoting sustainable and responsible tourism.