Lok Sabha Question No. 1808 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-31
Subject: Promotion of Tourism in Border Areas
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: R.K. Singh Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †1808

## ANSWERED ON 31.07.2023

## PROMOTION OF TOURISM IN BORDER AREAS

†1808. SHRI R.K. SINGH PATEL:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) the  action  plan  formulated  by  the  Government  to  promote tourism in the border areas;
- the  number  of  border  areas  in  the  country  which  have  been developed  for  tourism  purposes  during  the  last  three  years;
- (b) and
- (c) the  plan  of  the  Government  to  include  the  villages  situated near the border areas in the tourism map of the country?

## ANSWER

(SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

THE MINISTER OF TOURISM

(a) to (c): The Ministry of Tourism promotes tourism in the country, including  in  the  border  areas,  through  its  various  Schemes.  It provides financial assistance for development of tourism infrastructure in the country, including in the border states under its major Schemes of Swadesh Darshan, National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) and Assistance to Central Agencies to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations/Central Agencies. The financial assistance is given on the basis of submission of Detailed Project  Reports,  availability  of  funds  and  adherence  to  Scheme Guidelines.  The Swadesh Darshan scheme has now been revamped as Swadesh  Darshan  2.0  (SD  2.0)  for  development of  sustainable and responsible tourist destinations.

Further, Ministry also promotes India in a holistic manner, as a tourist destination, through various initiatives including promotional events,  assistance  to  State  Governments  for  organizing  fairs  and festivals,  etc.  The  Ministry  also  regularly  promotes  the  tourism destinations through its website and social media promotions.

Some of the major initiatives and efforts of Ministry of Tourism for promotion of tourism in the border areas are given below :-

- i. An  amount  of  Rs.1312.00  lakh  was  sanctioned  to  Border Security  Force  (BSF)  for  the  tourism  related  Infrastructural Development at Joint Check Post (JCP), Attari, Punjab in 201718.
- ii. An  amount  of  Rs.1767.66  lakh  was  sanctioned  to  Border Security Force (BSF) for development of border tourism at BSF Check Post, Tanot complex, Rajasthan in 2022-23.
- iii. Ministry has also formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for  development of Rural Tourism in India, which focuses on strategic pillars such as model policies and best practices for rural  tourism,  digital  technologies  and  platforms  for  rural tourism, developing clusters for rural tourism,  marketing support for rural tourism and capacity building of stakeholders.
- iv. Ministry of Tourism has also launched the rural tourism village portal with information about the rural tourism destinations in the country including in border areas, rural homestays etc.
- v. Ministry  has  also  identified  the  pilot  rural  cluster  of  HarshilBagori-Mukhwa-Dharali located near Gangotri in Uttarakhand.

Further, Government has approved Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) on 15 th February 2023 for comprehensive development of 662 villages identified for coverage in 46 blocks of 19 districts abutting northern border in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and UT of Ladakh.

Promotion  of  tourism  is  one  of  the  identified  focus  areas  of intervention under VVP.

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