Rural tourism

Rural tourism

Introduction:

Rural tourism is, “experience oriented, the locations are sparsely populated, it is experience oriented, the locations are sparsely populated, it is pre-dominantly in natural environment, it meshes with and local events and is based on preservation of culture, heritage and tradition.”

Body:

Rural tourism contributing to rural development:

• Reduces migration:
• Alternative Way of Earning:
• Employment:
• Rural tourism creates a large number of semi-skilled jobs for the local population in not only local hotels and catering trades but also in other fields like transport, retailing, heritage interpretation etc.
• Moreover, it ensures revival of traditional arts, crafts, building art etc. and brings marketing opportunity for rural producers to sell their products directly to the tourists.
• Rural performers are hired for cultural programs where they can exhibit talent and also can earn money.
• It allows alternative sources of earning opportunities from non-agricultural sectors that improve living standards of the rural dwellers to some extent.
• Job Retention:
• Alternative Business Opportunities:
• Poverty Alleviation:
• Empowerment of Localities:
• Entrepreneurial scope:
• Arts and Crafts Sale:
• Environmental Improvement:
• Environmental improvements such as village paving and traffic regulation schemes, sewage and litter disposal can be assisted by tourism revenues and political pressures from tourism authorities.
• Heritage Preservation:
• Rural Tourism brings a strong sense of emotion in everyone’s (both community and tourists) mind to preserve and reserve the local culture and heritages to make any place attractive for the tourists to visit it and also for the host community to live in.
• Such sense is maintained through rural museums that play a significant role in local heritage preservation.

Way forward:

• Resources mapping brings to the fore what rural India has to offer to tourists.
• Traditionally Indian society is known for its hospitality; however some basic training on soft skills to engage the tourists will certainly be helpful.
• The education and awareness at community level will be very crucial for developing sustainable tourism practices in villages.
• Panchayats, NGOs and community organisations have an important role to play here by way of engaging both communities and tourists to promote responsible tourism.
• There is a need to develop the Accessibility, Accommodation, Attractions and Amenities (4A’s).
• Encouraging local entrepreneurs, private enterprises, investors and other tourism stakeholders to come under a common umbrella for basic rural infrastructure development activities is also essential.
• Better implementation of the Government schemes viz. Swadesh Darshan, PRASAD, Special Tourism Zones and Promotion of e-Tourist Visa facilities.
• Promotion of non-intrusive rural tourism with preservation of traditional cultures should be done.