Page 2 - Tourism Ministry

CAG report flags shortcomings in Tourism Ministry's Swadesh Darshan Scheme

The Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Tourism Ministry was launched despite "objection of the Planning Commission/Ministry of Finance" and the ministry "did not act" upon the recommendation of a committee to formulate an umbrella scheme by merging the projects having overlapping objectives, a CAG report has found. The Performance Audit Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Swadesh Darshan Scheme, covering the period from its inception in January 2015 to March 2022, was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, according to an official statement. The Swadesh Darshan Scheme, launched in January 2015 with an initial outlay of Rs 500 crore, is a central sector flagship scheme of the Tourism Ministry for the development of tourism infrastructure in the country. The ministry identified 15 tourist circuits for development under the Scheme, namely Himalayan circuit, North East circuit, Krishna circuit, Buddhist circuit, Coastal circuit, Desert circuit, Tribal circuit, Eco circuit, Wildlif

Rs 127.21 cr project sanctioned for Ayodhya's development in 2017-18: Govt

The Ministry of Tourism as part of its Swadesh Darshan Scheme sanctioned a project worth Rs 127.21 crore in the 2017-18 fiscal for the development of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and the project has been "physically completed", the government informed Parliament on Monday. To a query in the Lok Sabha seeking details of infrastructure development proposed by the government for "the large number of domestic and foreign tourists who will be visiting Ayodhya Ram Temple after its inauguration", Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy also shared details of the work undertaken as part of this project in the temple town. In a written response to the query, he said, "The Ministry of Tourism as part of its 'Swadesh Darshan' scheme has sanctioned a project 'Development of Ayodhya' in Uttar Pradesh for an amount of Rs 127.21 crore in the year 2017-18 with the objective of creation of tourism infrastructure and to enhance visitor experience/satisfaction. The project is physically complete." The proje

Surge in solo travel; J&K, Manali preferred travel destinations: Report

Jammu and Kashmir, Manali and Shimla are the most preferred destinations for solo travellers as more people are inclined to explore places at their own pace and preference, said a recent travel trend report. The research, conducted by leading travel fintech SanKash, found that almost "35 per cent" of solo travellers prefer Jammu and Kashmir for vacationing, followed by Manali (25 per cent) and Shimla (14 per cent). Mussoorie, Sikkim, and Goa are among the other top preferred destinations, with bookings clocking in at nine per cent, seven per cent, and five per cent, respectively. "Destinations renowned for their natural beauty, cultural richness have witnessed a surge in popularity, captivating the hearts of travellers. As of March 2023, domestic travel is becoming more popular, and domestic capacity has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Bookings are back to 100 per cent of pre-pandemic levels for domestic travel," said Akash Dahiya, co-founder and CEO of SanKash. The insights

Airbnb inks pact with tourism ministry to promote heritage stays, culture

Online accommodation hosting platform Airbnb on Monday said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Ministry of Tourism to showcase India's heritage stays and promote cultural tourism. The company will partner the ministry in its vision to promote inbound tourism as a part of its 'Visit India 2023' initiative and under the MoU, it will launch a dedicated 'Soul of India' microsite for the global audience showcasing India's rich culture and built heritage, Airbnb said in a regulatory filing. Additionally, Airbnb will also offer support to hosts in untapped tourist areas, assist them in promoting their homestays, build host capacity, and foster a culture of responsible hosting, it added. Under the MoU, Airbnb will endeavour to train hospitality micro-entrepreneurs in emerging destinations that are part of the ministry's flagship scheme, the company said, adding, it would also share travel and homestay insights with the ministry for informed responsible tourism

Touts spoil tourist areas, action must be taken against them: Goa minister

To discourage their activities, the Goa Police have decided to create a 'database' of the arrested touts to take further action against them

States need to have formal policies for promotion of film tourism: Reddy

Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday said states and Union Territories need to have formal policies for promotion of film tourism. Reddy was addressing a side event on "Promoting Incredible India through Film Tourism" during the third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting here. "Tourism has the greatest ability to generate overall employment, especially among the vulnerable communities," Reddy said. He added that film production can have a lasting impact on travel destinations as cinematic exposure transforms a place into a tourist location The minister impressed upon the states and the Union Territories to have formal polices for the promotion of film tourism. Where there is an existing policy, it can be strengthened to pave the way for film production. Addressing the event, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said India has no dearth of talent with a century-old film legacy boasting the likes of Guru Dutt and Satyajit Ray, who have been acknowledged for their art. Singh expre

G20 meeting a great opportunity to promote J-K's tourism potential

The upcoming G20 meeting which will be held here is a great opportunity to promote Jammu and Kashmir's tourism potential globally as it will show the world that the union territory is a wonderful destination for all, an official said on Saturday. The third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting will be held in Srinagar from May 21 to 23. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the trailer launch of the movie "Welcome to Kashmir" at Inox Cinema here, Tourism Secretary Syed Abid Rasheed Shah said the department has identified 300 new destinations for film shootings and will facilitate production houses. "The third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting is taking place in Kashmir which in itself is a major international event. I do not think such a big international event has taken place in Jammu and Kashmir ever before," he said. "Whether it is adventure tourism or leisure tourism, or our focus areas of film tourism and MICE tourism, we are working to attract the attention of the world and t

Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy stable, under observation at AIIMS

The health condition of Union Minister G Kishan Reddy was stable and he was under observation at the AIIMS, hospital authorities said on Monday. Reddy, the minister for culture, tourism and development of north eastern region, was admitted to the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Sunday night after he complained of upper abdominal discomfort. He is under observation and evaluation, the hospital authorities stated. "The minister was brought to AIIMS, New Delhi yesterday night with complaint of upper abdominal discomfort. He is stable and doing routine activities," according to the hospital.

National tourism policy will be finalised in 2 months: Union Minister

'Massive opportunities' for conglomerates and start-ups in the sector, says G Kishan Reddy

Rajasthan govt plans to develop 23 old airstrips on PPP mode: Tourism Min

The Rajasthan government is planning to develop 23 old airstrips on a public-private partnership mode where chartered and smaller flights can land, Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh said here on Sunday. Addressing the G20 Tourism Expo in Jaipur, he also exhorted all participants to go back as "ambassadors of Rajasthan tourism". "Under the guidance and leadership of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, we are planning to put out 23 old airstrips on a PPT (public-private partnership mode) where chartered flights linkage can be provided directly," Singh said. Singh also holds the portfolio of civil aviation in the state cabinet. Citing an example of Kishangarh airport, he said that after the operationalisation of flights to this airport, a lot of crowd has got diverted from the main airport. So, people going to Ajmer or those going for 'ziyarat' are going through Kishangarh airport, the minister said. When asked about the status of this plan, he said that it was "in the pipeline and, soon,

The Ashok Hotel divestment: 1956-built hotel to undergo a structural audit

Ashok's divestment has drawn interest from all the big hospitality players, including Taj Hotels, Hilton, DLF, JLL, Brookfield-backed HLV Ltd and Wyndham Hotels

India received 6.19 million foreign tourists in 2022: Tourism minister

India received 6.19 million Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in 2022 as compared to 1.52 million during the same period in 2021, Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said Thursday. There were 10.93 million Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during the pre-pandemic year of 2019, Reddy said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha. "Tourism Industry has shown good signs of revival after Covid-19 pandemic. According to the latest information received from the Bureau of Immigration, India received 6.19 million Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during 2022 as compared to 1.52 million during the same period of 2021," he said. He said that the ministry under its schemes such as Swadesh Darshan and Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive , or PRASAD, provides financial assistance to state governments and Union Territories for the development of tourism-related infrastructure to enrich tourism experience for the visitors. He said his ministry has set up a 24x7 multi-lingual tourist

Minister Kishan Reddy urges KCR to implement 'SVAMITVA' scheme in Telangana

Expressing regret over non implementation of 'SVAMITVA', Central government scheme in Telangana, though its pilot project has been successfully completed, Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday urged Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to take steps to implement it in the State. SVAMITVA scheme under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj was launched nationwide by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during National Panchayati Raj Day ( April 24, 2021) after successful completion of pilot phase of scheme (2020-2021) in nine States. The scheme is a reformative step towards establishment of clear ownership of property in rural inhabited (Abadi) areas, by mapping of land parcels using drone technology and providing Record of Rights' to village household owners with issuance of legal ownership cards (Property cards/Title deeds) to the property owners. The Telangana government entered into an agreement with the Centre on April 19, 2022 in regard to the Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with

Government has prepared atlas of adventure tourism activities: Official

The government has prepared an atlas of places where water, land and air based adventure tourism activities can be performed in the country, a senior official said on Sunday. The atlas of water-based adventure tourism activities has already been notified while preparations are in final stages for land and air based activities, the senior official of the tourism ministry said. "We have prepared and notified one atlas for 21 water-based activities.... For example, we have identified all the places where kayaking is being practised in 20 states and UTs. For each activity, we have a map. An atlas for water sport activities has been notified while those for air and land based adventure tourism are in the final stages of notification, he told PTI. He said the atlas in one glance will give whole information about water sports in an area. "Its uniqueness is if you open an atlas and look for river rafting, in one glance you can see in which part of the country it is being offered, he said.

G20 meet will help India maximise its potential in tourism sector: Minister

The second G20 Tourism Working Group meeting is focused on projecting domestic tourism in mission mode and will help India maximise its potential in the sector, Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said on Sunday. The meeting, being held in Darjeeling and Siliguri in West Bengal from April 1 to 3, is being attended by more than 130 participants, including delegates of G20 members, invitee countries and international organisations, industry partners, state tourism officials and local tour operators. Speaking on the second day of the meeting, Reddy said the vision of the conference is to project domestic tourism in mission mode. "It will also make India maximise its potential in the tourism sector," he said. "The Union Ministry of Tourism has also formulated a comprehensive tourism policy with holistic flavour for a sustainable and responsible growth of the tourism sector in the country," he stated. Welcoming the delegates to Siliguri, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs John Ba

Water sport activities not to be privatised: Goa tourism minister

Water sport activities will not be privatised in Goa, state tourism minister Rohan Khaunte told the Assembly on Monday. Responding to a Zero Hour mention by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Venzy Veigas, he said some persons with vested interests were spreading rumours about such activities being privatised. Touts were cheating tourists by overcharging them for water sport activities and it was important to regulate the trade, he said. "Goa Electronics Limited (GEL) has been assigned the task to introduce online system in the trade. The water sports' rate will be decided by respective associations, while GEL will charge Rs 50 per customer. GEL will run the counters and will provide the necessary technical support," he told the House.

Rs 340.92 cr spent to preserve protected sites last fiscal till March 1

A sum of Rs 340.92 crore was spent on the conservation, preservation, and maintenance of centrally protected sites during 2022-23 till March 1, parliament was informed on Monday. Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy shared the data in a written response to a query in Lok Sabha. He was asked to share details of the centrally protected heritage sites, temples, and monuments in the country, including in Rajasthan, and measures taken to beautify, maintain and develop them. Reddy, in his response, shared details of the amount allotted and spent on the conservation, preservation and maintenance of 3,696 centrally protected monuments and sites during the last three years and the current year. According to the data shared, Rs 435.39 crore was spent in 2019-20, Rs 260.83 crore in 2020-21, Rs 269.57 crore in 2021-22, Rs 340.92 crore in 2022-23 till March 1, 2023, Reddy also shared data on the number of adult tourists who visited protected ticketed monuments and the revenue generated from t

National strategy, Roadmap formed to boost medical tourism: Govt

Ministry of Tourism has formulated a national strategy and roadmap for medical and wellness tourism in order to boost medical tourism in the country, said Union Minister G Kishan Reddy in Lok Sabha

OYO asks govt to probe FHRAI's 'illegally-run' executive committee

Claims committee's actions hurting small hotel owners; constant friction with organised players discouraging SMEs and entrepreneurs from moving ahead with the times and with technology

Govt launches pan-India best tourism village competition, new web portal

The Centre on Thursday launched a competition to select the best tourism village from across the country, and also a new website to promote rural tourism. The launch took place here in the presence of Union Culture and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy and Minister of State for Culture and Defence Ajay Bhatt. The 'Best Tourism Village Competition' helmed by the tourism ministry will be held in three stages, and will seek entries at district level, state level and finally at the national level, officials said. The evaluation criteria have been aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), they said. On the occasion, a new web portal to promote rural tourism in India was also launched. Reddy also launched the website of the first Global Tourism Investors Summit which will take place at Pragati Maidan here later this year.