The grand opening of three PRASHAD Scheme projects—in Hazratbal, Srinagar, Jogulamba, Telangana, and Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh—with a special focus on ghat development, pilgrim facilitation centers, and other amenities—was one of the highlights. In addition, 14 projects worth INR 320.8 Crore were initiated to develop pilgrimage and historical sites in many states.
52 tourism-related projects worth over INR 1400 crores were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the Swadesh Darshan and Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) programs. Through a video conference from Srinagar, the PM unveiled the projects, which are intended to improve the nation’s tourist infrastructure.
Teaming up with Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD initiatives from the Ministry of Tourism, nine infrastructure tasks were revealed. Their total value is INR 469 Crore. But that’s not all. 43 more projects kicked off! They’re worth INR 963 Crore in total. These collective efforts touched many tourist spots. They were carried out with the helping hands of local authorities, union territories, and state governments.
Some important moments included starting three PRASHAD Scheme projects. These occurred in Hazratbal, Srinagar, Jogulamba, Telangana, and Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh. They centered around developing ghats, helping pilgrims, and improving facilities. Also, a fresh start was given to 14 projects. These projects, worth INR 320.8 crore, aim to advance pilgrimage points and historic places in various states.
The Prime Minister brought forth three new plans to boost local involvement and inclusive growth.
The Challenge-Based Destination Development or CBDD is designed to create sustainable tourism spots that align with India’s tourism aims and are competitive.
The Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign is meant to inspire Indians living abroad to help the tourism sector. They can do this in many ways, like setting up annual trips for non-Indians to visit India, promoting cross-cultural interaction, and showing India as a prime travel spot.
Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice 2024 is a scheme to get the people involved in molding India’s travel and tourism scene. A country-wide vote will decide the top five tourism spots in five unique categories.
The prime suggested visitors put aside a small chunk, about five to ten percent, of their budget for buying local goods., underscoring the importance of supporting regional businesses. Additionally, he restated the “I Do” campaign by ‘Wed in India,’ encouraging couples to choose Jammu and Kashmir as their wedding location and highlighting the region’s potential as a top wedding destination.
Under the direction of the Assamese government’s Tourism Department, the “Amar Aalohi” Homestay Scheme aims to develop homestay facilities, open up opportunities for self-employment, and provide travelers with genuine experiences of hospitality. The Assam Tourism Development Corporation, under the direction of the Government of Assam’s Tourism Department, is spearheading a project that seeks to revitalize tourism by leveraging the welcoming local populations and their diverse cultural heritage.
Industry participants remarked on the idea and said that although the government’s introduction of the new campaigns is a great step, robust Destination India marketing in international markets is urgently needed to support such activities.
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) President, Rajiv Mehra, stated: “We fully support any initiatives taken to improve tourism. But the truth is that to attract more visitors to India, we must engage in aggressive international marketing. It is erroneous to think that one NRI traveling to India will attract six more visitors from that nation and that this chain would expand similarly to LLM marketing. We must enlist the help of international travel operators and destination management companies to help us promote. Regretfully, none of this is occurring, and as a result, the number of international visitors arriving has not even approached March 2020 levels.”
“Travel to India will benefit from the simultaneous introduction of destination development projects under the ‘Swadesh’ and ‘challenge’ modes and the marketing calls to both local and foreign citizens under the ‘Chalo India’ and ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ campaigns,”
stated Aashish Gupta, Consultant CEO, FAITH.
A coordinated worldwide tourist marketing effort in important source markets that is in line with the Chalo India campaign is anticipated by the industry.
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