“India lives in its villages”

-Mahatma Gandhi

The National Tourism Policy of India defines Rural Tourism as ‘any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience’.

Favorable Factors for Rural Tourism in India:

• Faster and cheaper modes of travelling.
• Rise in purchasing power of the urban populace.
• Enthusiasm towards experiencing unexplored lifestyles and cultures.
• Tourism being transformed to ‘Responsible Traveling’ in which the visitors contribute back to the host community.
• India’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.
• A shift of interest from visiting monuments and natural sites to ‘Intangible Tourism’ or ‘Living Tourism’.
• Increasing level of awareness and marketing by tourism service providers.
• Increasing consciousness on environment.
• A shift from mass tourism to ‘Special Interest Tourism’ that lays focus on individual’s taste.

Government Initiatives in the Rural Tourism sector:

• The National Tourism Policy of India recognizes and imparts special thrust to Rural Tourism and tourism in small settlements.
• Swadesh Darshan Scheme identifies ‘Rural Circuit’ as one of the 13 thematic circuits. Ex.: Bhitiharwa, Chandrahia and Turkaulia (Bihar) and Malanad Malabar Cruise Tourism Project (Kerala)
• Rural Tourism Scheme (2002; in partnership with the UNDP) aligned Rural Tourism with the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to eradicate poverty and hunger by 2015.
• Village Tourism Development Committees formed at selected sites lay focus on showcasing local heritage and indigenous traditions, improving accommodation, vernacular architecture and skill development.
• Apart from the Govt., Non Govt. Organizations (NGOs) also operate in areas like capacity building, project management, tour operations, accounting, waste management, etc.

Benefits of Rural Tourism:

1. Benefits to the Local Community:

The vagaries of weather and the seasonal nature of employment disturbs the income level of rural households which depend on rain fed agriculture. Rural Tourism benefits the local community in the following ways:

• Opportunities for alternate and novel employment opportunities within the village, particularly for the women. Ex.: Hospitality sector, handicrafts etc.
• Weakening of the rural-urban divide.
• Restoration of a feeling of pride in their way of life.
• Revival of various local crafts and arts such as folk music, dance, drama, handlooms, pottery, wood carvings, etc.
• Additional revenue to villages through entry fee, parking charges, etc.
• Improvement in the standard of living which may discourage migration to cities.

2. Benefits to the Tourism Industry:

The development of new tourism products in India is inadequate. It results in overcrowding of the conventional tourism destinations. Rural Tourism as a new product benefits the industry in the following ways:

• Pressure on conventional tourism destinations will be brought down.
• Low budget tourists will be benefited as the options get diversified.
• Revenue of tourism service provides will be increased as arranging personalized experience is much more expensive.
• There will be an emergence of Rural Tourism hubs as the facilitators and service providers in the villages come into contact with the tour operators located in the urban places.
• Tourists will benefit from the opportunity to buy traditional handloom and handicrafts products directly from the local people.

3. Benefits to the Society at Large:

• Rural Tourism has the potential to mitigate the unrest prevalent in most of the rural areas due to unemployment, low incomes and deprivation of even the basic amenities.
• It can bridge the psychological and emotional gap between the urban and rural populace.
• Funding for conservation activities associated with the environment and heritage can be sourced from the tourism revenue.
• The holistic development of the society will be backed by activities like ‘Voluntourism’ which involves tourists volunteering in activities like teaching at local schools, helping out in farming activities, etc.
• Rural planning and development will be positively impacted with an enhanced focus on environment, community participation, etc.
• There will be an improvement in infrastructure in terms of connectivity of roads, public transport, etc.

Challenges faced by Rural Tourism in India:

• Rural communities have inadequate knowledge, education and exposure to the outside world and little avenues for marketing themselves.
• Villages lack adequate infrastructure such as accessible roads, accommodation facilities, etc.
• There is a lack of adequate financial support to rural entrepreneurs.
• Projects in rural locations are not very well linked with traditional tourist destinations.
• Number of trained and qualified persons who can handle multiple languages is less.
• Dividends from Rural Tourism less accessible to women because of domestic objections, myths about gender roles, etc.

Case Studies of Rural Tourism in India: 

• Shaam-e-Sarhad Project (Gujarat): The Endogenous Tourism Project of UNDP selected this village for Rural Tourism in 2004.
  • The Hodka community, named after a prehistoric jheel (lake), offers camping facility.
  • Major attractions: Embroidery units, mud houses decorated with local artwork and the Rann festival.
  • Economic impact: The annual income has increased from 1 Lakh per year to 45 Lakhs per year.
  • Another local community, Banni, has popularized the Banni buffalo as the 11th buffalo breed of India.
• Naggar, Himachal Pradesh: The Endogenous Tourism Project of UNDP selected the village as a heritage site.
  • Major attractions: The heritage villa of famous Russian painter Nicholas Roerich, weaving centers and the proximity to Kulu and Manali.
• Kumarakom, Wayanad etc. (Kerala): The award winning model of ‘Responsible Tourism’ identifies local stakeholders as storytellers.
• Samode and Mandawa (Rajasthan): The project is operated as a public-private partnership.
• Govardhan Eco-village (Maharashtra): Community participation activities made it win the UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation.
• Kutch Adventures India, Gujarat: The salt desert offers ‘Community Tourism’ involving village artisans.
• Itmenaan Lodge, Uttarakhand: The lodge introduces various farming activities to tourists.
• Spiti Ecosphere, Himachal Pradesh: High altitude Rural Tourism is offered along with visits to Buddhist monasteries, yak safaris, village homestays and cultural performances.
• Lachen, Sikkim: Located at 8500 feet, the site offers scenic beauty of snow-capped peaks amidst conifer and Rhododendron forests.
• Ballabhpur Danga, West Bengal: Managed by the Santhal community, the project is situated near Shantiniketan and Sonajhuri forest.
• Sunder bans Village Life, West Bengal: It is A UNESCO World Heritage Site with the largest mangrove vegetation in the world.
• Majuli, Assam: Surrounded by the Brahmaputra, it is the largest river island in the world.
• Chitrakoot, Chhattisgarh: Major attraction is the widest waterfall in India located in the Indravati River.
• Odisha: Beaches where Olive Ridley turtles come to lay eggs attracts tourists.
• Banavasi (Karnataka): Main attractions are the workshops of wood carving, artifacts making, stone cutting, etc.
• Raghurajpur, Odisha: Pattachitra painters, Gotipua (the precursor to the Indian classical dance form of Odissi) dance troupes, tussar paintings, palm leaf engravings, stone and wood carvings, cow dung and papier mache toys, etc. are the main attractions.
• Pochampally, Telangana: The village finds a place the UNESCO tentative list of World Heritage Sites as part of the ‘Iconic sari weaving clusters of India’.

 How to boost Rural Tourism in India?

• Destinations should be specific and proximate to the conventional tourist spots.
• There should be an improvement in the accessibility, proper marketing and periodic maintenance of the destinations.
• Homestays need to follow the traditional style of construction and lifestyle.
• Infrastructure must be environment friendly.
• A concerted effort from both the Union Government and State Governments based on a proactive approach.
• Government authorities have to provide models for villagers to adopt.

Conclusion:

Rural Tourism establishes a balance between rural needs and rural resources. It empowers the villages in many ways. We have to realize the potential of community ownership and management as alternative models of endogenous tourism.