Himachali tourism start-up NotOnMap bags NSIF award

Community-based tourism start-up NotOnMap (NoM), which has its head quarter in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district, has won NASSCOM Foundation's Social Innovation Forum (NSIF) award.

A total of 10 organisations were selected across different categories out of 1,500 applicants through a rigorous selection criteria and NoM emerged winner in 'other social innovation category'.

"Achievements like this will certainly give a boost to our efforts towards providing authentic experience to discerning travellers, preserving heritage and supporting communities at the same time," NoM founder Kumar Anubhav said on phone.

Committed to promote community based responsible tourism, NoM has been working to identify upcoming tourist destinations, preserving cultural assets, facilitating travellers to access these locations.

This is done through community oriented approach in order to ensure that rural folks -- especially women and those from marginalized communities -- earn livelihood.

As of now, more than 140 destinations throughout India have been developed.

Earlier in May, Booking.com had adjudged NoM as the second most promising start-up in the global travel industry.

"Such awards encourage us a lot in working harder towards sustainable and responsible tourism," NotonMap co-founder Manuj Sharma said.