Tourism dept to showcase 105 Himachal villages

Tourism dept to showcase 105 Himachal villages

Vishakha Talreja & Moinak Mitra NEW DELHI/KULLU VALLEY

MALANA village is high and grassy. A hamlet perched high up in the Himalayan ranges of Himachal Pradesh, with a largely cannabis-growing economy, need not qualify for a tourism initiative. But villages like Malana and other rural clusters are being promoted by the ministry of tourism to collar that dollar from visiting foreign tourists. So far, the tourism ministry has identified 105 villages, and pumped in Rs 50 lakh worth of infrastructure and Rs 20 lakh for additional capacity building per hamlet.
Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh is a case in point. Village Nauli was the chosen ground where foreign tourists could come and stay with villagers in their hearths. A group of 10-12 odd-jobbers were roped in for the purpose by divisional tourism officer Rakesh Kapur in 2005. Next, feedback was taken from tourists on their stay and the positive vibes resulted in six more locations across Kullu district falling under the rural tourism map — Malana, Outer Siraj, Chowai, Khanag, Paneu and Shangar. “We provide the local populace with training, logistics and developed maps to cater to the tourism surge,” claims Kapur, now AC, Kullu district.
Well, the hills, including Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, may be alive with the sound of the rural folk conjuring up ethnic magic for visitors. But the plains are cashing in too. As the room crunch looms, states such as Rajasthan, Orissa, Karnataka and Kerala are fast realising the potential of rural tourism. Villages in these states are increasingly providing homestay options to visitors, mostly foreign and the scattered upwardly mobile domestic tourists.
Cox & Kings executive director Arup Sen is ebullient. “Rural tourism in India attracts about 80% foreigners and the rest comprises domestic tourists. In many ways, it’s a double-edged sword, wherein the local economy benefits through income, and visitors get reasonable stay in a rural setting, soaking in the true flavour of the place,” points out Mr Sen.
Even in terms of a positioning plank, tourism from the villages is carving out its niche. “Rural tourism is a differentiated product, apt for foreigners who have visited India more than once and want to experience something new,” says Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) president Subhash Goyal. Furthermore, on an average, analysts claim it’s at least 40-65% cheaper to lodge in a village homestead.
Although rural tourism has enormous potential in a country steeped in its traditions, critics such as Himmat Anand of inbound operator Sita Travels demur that much remains to be done to this effect. “Sita Travels alone accounts for 1.5 lakh inbound tourists, yet the share of rural tourism among them is dismal. India has to go a long way in providing adequate infrastructure and proper promotional props to pep this sector up,” he adds. Nonetheless, amid the din of criticism, the 105 villages under the scheme still look invitingly refreshing, both in terms of cost and concept.
vishakha.talreja@timesgroup.com