Development and promotion of tourist destinations and products, including agri-tourism and farm stays is undertaken by the respective State Government/Union Territory (UT) Administration. There is no proposal in the Ministry of Tourism at present to formulate an Agri-tourism policy. However, the Ministry of Tourism has formulated National Strategies and Roadmaps for Development of Rural Tourism and Rural Homestays, which have been circulated to the States and Union Territories.

 

The Ministry of Tourism promotes India in a holistic manner, through various initiatives. As part of on-going activities; promotion of Rural Tourism is also taken up.

 

The Ministry of Tourism through its central sector schemes of ‘Swadesh Darshan, ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) and ‘Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development’ extends financial assistance to the State Governments/UT Administrations for tourism infrastructure development in the country. The central financial assistance is being extended according to guidelines and based on proposals / detailed project reports received from the States and UT Governments. The details of projects sanctioned under Rural and Tribal Circuits of Swadesh Darshan Scheme are given at Annexure. 

 

As per guidelines issued by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism has earmarked 4.3% of the total scheme outlay i.e. ₹103 crores under the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) component of the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, which includes ₹88 crores under the Tribal Area Sub Plan and ₹15 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM-JUGA). This dedicated head of expenditure ensures focused investment in Scheduled Tribes-dominated regions, facilitating cultural preservation economic upliftment, and inclusive tourism growth.

 

In addition to infrastructure development, the Ministry has undertaken targeted interventions for livelihood enhancement in tribal areas, such as the ‘Development of Homestays in Tribal Areas’ under PM-JUGA. This initiative aims to support the creation of 1,000 homestays in tribal areas, with financial assistance of up to ₹5 lakh for village community requirements, ₹5 lakh for constructing two new rooms per household, and ₹3 lakh for renovating existing rooms, along with provisions for technical training and upskilling of homestay owners. These measures are intended to promote sustainable tourism and address systemic challenges in tourism-linked livelihood generation. As of date, no funds have been released under the PM-JUGA Homestay initiative.

 

The Government of Kerala has informed that it is actively taking initiatives to support women through its Women-Friendly Tourism Initiative, implemented by the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission (KRTM) Society. Launched in October 2022, the program aims to make Kerala a safe and women-friendly tourism destination while promoting women’s entrepreneurship and employment in the sector. So far, over 17,000 women have registered, with training provided for tour leaders, operators, drivers, homestay managers, and souvenir units. Various trainings and village life experience packages have been provided in the tribal areas of the Wayanad region.

This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

 

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari  

tourism4pib[at]gmail[dot]com

 

ANNEXURE

 

The list of the projects sanctioned under Rural and Tribal Circuits of Swadesh Darshan scheme is as under:-

 

Rural Circuit                                                                                                        (Rs. in Crore)

S. No.	State/UT	Circuit / Sanction Year	Name of the Project	Amount Sanctioned
1.	Bihar	Rural Circuit 2017-18	Development of Bhitiharwa- Chandrahia- Turkaulia	44.27
2.	Kerala	Rural Circuit 2018-19	Development of Malanad Malabar Cruise Tourism Project	57.35

 

Tribal Circuit                                                                                                        (Rs. in Crore)

S. No.	State/UT	Circuit / Sanction Year	Name of the Project	Amount Sanctioned
1.	Chhattisgarh	Tribal Circuit 2015-16	Development of Jashpur- Kunkuri- Mainpat- Kamleshpur - Maheshpur -Kurdar - Sarodhadadar- Gangrel- Kondagaon– Nathiyanawagaon- Jagdalpur- Chitrakoot- Tirthgarh	96.10
2.	Nagaland	Tribal Circuit 2015-16	Development of Tribal Circuit Peren- Kohima- Wokha	97.36
3.	Nagaland	Tribal Circuit 2016-17	Development of Mokokchung-Tuensang-Mon	98.14
4.	Telangana	Tribal Circuit 2016-17	Development of Mulugu-Laknavaram- Medavaram- Tadvai- Damaravi- Mallur- Bogatha Waterfalls	79.87

 

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