Transcription
ANNUAL REPORT2019-20MINISTRY OF TOURISMGOVERNMENT OF INDIA
ContentsChapter No.ContentsTitlePage No.1Tourism – An Overview52Ministry of Tourism and its Functions133Ministry of Tourism- Role, Synergy and Convergence174Tourism Infrastructure Development215New Tourism Products (Niche Tourism)276Hotels and Travel-Trade377Human Resource Development498Publicity and Marketing579International Cooperation7310India Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ITDC)7911Statistics, Surveys and Studies9312North-Eastern Region and Jammu & Kashmir- SpecialEmphasis9913Gender Equality10514Welfare Measures10915Vigilance11316Court Cases11717Departmental Accounting Organisation12118Important Audit Observations12519Implementation of Right to Information (RTI) Act, 200512920Progressive Use of Official Language Hindi13321Swachh Bharat Mission137IIndia tourism Offices in India142IIIndia tourism Offices Abroad143IIISenior Officers of the Ministry144IVDetails of Amount released under Swadesh Darshan,PRASHAD,Central Agencies and Fairs & Festivals145VSurveys and Studies151
Chapter- 1Statue of UnityTourism – An Overview
CHAPTER1Tourism – An Overview1.1The growing influence of the tourismsector as an economic powerhouse andits potential as a tool for development areirrefutable. Not only does the tourism sectorspearhead growth, it also improves the qualityof people’s lives with its capacity to create largescale employment of diverse kind. It supportsenvironmental protection, champions diversecultural heritage and strengthens peace in theworld.1.2Facilitation as well as strengtheningof tourism in India is the main objective ofMinistry of Tourism. Augmenting tourisminfrastructure, easing of visa regime, assuranceof quality standards in services of tourismservice providers, projection of the country asa 365 days’ tourist destination, promotion ofsustainable tourism etc. are some of the policyareas which need to be constantly workedupon to increase and facilitate tourism inIndia.1.3FTAs during 2019 were 10.89 million(Provisional) with a growth of 3.2% over sameperiod of the previous year.1.4FEEs during the period during 2019were Rs.2,10,981 crores (Provisional estimates)with a growth of 8.3% over same period ofprevious year. FEEs during the period during2019 were US 29.962 billion (Provisionalestimates) with a growth of 4.8% over sameperiod of previous year.1.5Facilitative visa regime is a prerequisite for increasing inbound tourism. TheMinistry of Tourism takes the initiative withMinistry of Home Affairs and Ministry ofExternal Affairs for achieving the same. Ason December, 2019, e-visa facility has been6 Annual Report 2019-20extended to the nationals of 169 Countriesunder 5 sub-categories i.e ‘e-Tourist visa’,‘e-Business visa’, ‘e-medical visa’, ‘e-MedicalAttendant Visa’ and ‘e-Conference Visa’. Thelatest country added is Kingdom of SaudiArabia1.6A new category of e-Tourist Visa for5 years with multiple entry in addition to theexisting e-Tourist Visa for one year and a newcategory of e-Tourist Visa valid for one monthwith double entry has been introduced.1.7The visa fee has been rationalized andhas been fairly reduced wherein e-TouristsVisa fee reduced to 80 for 5 years, 40 for 1year and one-month e-tourist Visa fee reducedto 10 for lean season and 25 for peak season.1.8During 2019, a total of 2.93 millionforeign tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visaregistering a growth of 23.6%.1.9For tourism infrastructure creationin the country, Ministry of Tourism hastwo major schemes, launched during 201415, viz. Swadesh Darshan - IntegratedDevelopment of Theme-Based Tourist Circuitsand PRASHAD- Pilgrimage Rejuvenationand Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drivefor development of tourism infrastructure inthe country including historical places andheritage cities.1.10 Swadesh Darshan scheme has a visionto develop theme based tourist circuitson the principles of high tourist value,competitiveness and sustainability in anintegrated manner by synergizing efforts tofocus on needs and concerns of all stakeholdersto enrich tourist experience and enhanceKhajuraho Templeemployment opportunities. Under the scheme,fifteen thematic circuits have been identifiedfor development, namely: North-East IndiaCircuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit,Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit,Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit,Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, RamayanaCircuit, Heritage Circuit, Tirthankar Circuit &Sufi Circuit. Since the inception of the scheme,an amount of Rs. 6035.70 crore has beensanctioned for 77 projects with a total releaseof Rs. 3676.14 crore (till 31.12.2019) covering allthematic circuits under the Swadesh DarshanScheme1.11 Under PRASHAD scheme, 51 siteshave been identified at present in 28 Statesfor development. Since the inception of thescheme, an amount of Rs. 840.02 crore has beensanctioned for 28 projects in 17 States with atotal release of Rs. 505.15 crore till 31.12.2019.1.12 Ministry of Tourism extends itsfinancial support to Central Agencies likeArchaeological Survey of India (ASI) , PortTrusts of India, India Tourism DevelopmentCorporation (ITDC) etc. to develop the potentialdestinations under their jurisdictions/control.A total of Rs.46.83 crore has been releasedto various Central Agencies for creation oftourism infrastructure related 2019-20.1.13 Ministry of Tourism has identified 17iconic sites in the country for developmentunder Iconic Tourist Sites Development Projectand proposes to carry out the developmentof these sites in collaboration with variousCentral Ministries, State Governments, UrbanLocal Bodies, Local Community and Industryplayers/Private sector.1.14 Ministry of Tourism has taken up theinitiative of identification, diversification,development and promotion of niche tourismproducts of the country like Cruise, Adventure,Medical, Wellness, Golf, Polo, MeetingsIncentives Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE),Eco-tourism, Film Tourism, SustainableTourism etc. to overcome ‘seasonality’challenge in tourism and to promote India asa 365 days destination.1.15 The second edition of India TourismMart (ITM) was held from 23rd to 25thMinistry of Tourism 7
September, 2019 at New Delhi and wasorganized by the Federation of Associationin Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH)with the support of the Ministry of Tourism.It was an industry driven event supportedby the Government. Approximately 240 touroperators from 58 countries were selected toparticipate in this event.1.16 For educating the tourism stakeholderson importance of Sustainable and ResponsibleTourism practices and to ensure and promoteSustainable and Responsible practices inthe tourism industry, a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) with the Eco TourismSociety of India (ESOI) has been signed. ESOIwould be organising a series of workshopsacross the country with financial assistancefrom Ministry of Tourism to popularisethe Sustainable Tourism Criteria of India(STCI) amongst stakeholders. A total of 5workshops at Jaipur, Goa, Guwahati, Bhopaland Ahmedabad have been held so far.To conform to the expected standards fordifferent classes of tourists, especially fromthe point of view of suitability for internationaltourists, Ministry of Tourism classifies hotelsunder the star rating system. Under thissystem, hotels are given a rating, from OneStar to Three Star, Four and Five Star with orwithout alcohol, Five Star Deluxe, Heritage(Basic), Heritage (Classic), Heritage (Grand),Legacy Vintage (Basic), Legacy Vintage(Classic) and Legacy Vintage (Grand) andApartment Hotels. Ministry has introducedonline system of receiving, processing andconveying/ granting approvals for hotelproject, Hotel classification / re-classificationstatus to functioning hotels and project levelapproval for hotel under construction. Thisonline process has also been integratedwith payment gateway. The Ministry alsohas voluntary schemes for approval ofaccommodation units such as TimeshareResorts, Operational Motels, Guest Houses,Bed & Breakfast / Homestay Establishments,Tented Accommodation, as well as OnlineTravel Aggregators, Stand-alone Air CateringUnits, Convention Centres, Standalone8 Annual Report 2019-20Restaurants.1.17 The Ministry of Tourism has takenup the GST taxation slabs with the Ministryof Finance, Government of India, from timeto time, as a result of which the followingchanges have been effected in GST rate slabswith respect to tourism products and services:GST (Goods and Services Tax) Councilannounced a cut in the tax rate on hotel roomtariffs, a move aimed at giving a boost to thehospitality sector. The GST rate on hotel roomswith tariffs of up to Rs 7,500 per night has beencut to 12% from the existing 18%. Similarly, thetax on room tariff of above Rs 7,500 has beenslashed to 18% from the existing 28%. Therewill be no GST on room tariffs of below Rs1,000 per night.The basis for determination of the applicablerate has been changed from declared tariff toactual tariff.GST on restaurants eateries has been broughtdown to 5% irrespective of whether theyare air-conditioned or not. If a restaurant islocated within the premises of hotels, inns,guest houses, club or any commercial placemeant for residential or lodging purposeswith a daily tariff of Rs.7500 per day per unitor above, the tax will be 18%.1.18 Government has now exempted thecruise tourists arriving with e-visa from therequirement of bio-metric enrolment. Theentry seaports for tourists availing e-visa areMumbai, Cochin, Mormugao, Chennai andNew Mangalore.1.19 E-Conference Visa in line withe-conference Visa for Government/P.S.U.Conferences, would be granted for privateconferences organized by private persons/companies/organizations.1.20 Triple entry is permitted for e-MedicalVisa and for e-Medical Attendant Visa andextension may be granted up to 6 months oncase to case basis on merits of each case bythe Foreigners Regional Registration Officer(FRRO)/ Foreigners Registration OfficerFatehpur SikriFatehpur Sikri(FRO) concerned. Medical Attendant Visawill be co-terminus with the validity of theprincipal e-visa holder.Madurai, Bhubaneswar and Port Blair) and5 designated seaports (i.e. Mumbai, Cochin,Mormugao, Chennai and New Mangalore).1.21 The Ministry of Tourism has launchedthe 24x7 Toll Free Multi-Lingual Tourist InfoHelpline on the toll free number 1800111363/short code 1363 in 12 Languages includingHindi and English in February 2016, tofacilitate and assist domestic and foreigntourists in terms of information relating toTravel in India and to provide a sense of safetyand security. The languages handled by theTourist Helpline include ten Internationallanguages besides English and Hindi, namely,Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese,Korean, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian andSpanish.1.23 S e n s i t i z a t i o n w o r k s h o p s a r ebeing conducted on promotion of Homestays/Incredible India Bed & BreakfastEstablishments in all States through itsdomestic offices. Incredible India B&BEstablishments approved by the Ministryautomatically get recognised by these StateGovernments.1.22 E-Visa is valid for entry through 28designated Airports (i.e. Ahmedabad,Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Calicut,Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore,Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad,Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangalore,Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Tiruchirapalli,Trivandrum, Varanasi, Vishakhapatnam,1.24 It has been the endeavour of theMinistry of Tourism to put in place a systemof training and professional education, withnecessary infrastructure support, capable ofgenerating manpower sufficient to meet theneeds of the tourism and hospitality industry,both quantitatively and qualitatively. Asof now, there are 46 Institutes of HotelManagement (IHMs), (comprising 21 CentralIHMs and 25 State IHMs) and 14 Food CraftInstitutes (FCIs), which have come up withthe support of the Ministry. One CentralIHM at Jadgishpur, Uttar Pradesh is underconstruction.Ministry of Tourism 9
1.25 Ministry of Tourism has launchedthe Incredible India Tourist Facilitator (IITF)Certification Programme. The objective is toprovide online training and accreditation of theTour Facilitators through a centralized PANIndia e-learning module. This will benefit theIndian economy in general and Indian tourismin specific thus enabling creation of a pool ofwell trained and professional Tour facilitatorsand also creation of additional employmenteven in remote areas.1.26 The “Incredible India 2.0” Campaignof the Ministry marks a shift from the genericpromotions being undertaken across the worldto market specific promotional plans andcontent creation. The Campaign covers theimportant source markets for Indian tourismand also takes into account emerging marketswith significant potential. Thematic creativeson different Niche products being producedare being used in the Campaign.1.27 RCS- UDAN has been introduced withthe main objective of facilitating / stimulatingregional air connectivity by making itaffordable. This is done through concessionsby Central Government, State Governmentsand airport operators to reduce the cost ofairline operations and financial support tomeet the gap, if any, between the cost of airlineoperations and expected revenues on suchroutes. Under RCS UDAN-3, connectivityis further improved with 46 tourism routesincluded for better connectivity of importanttourist places including Iconic sites, out ofwhich 8 routes have been operationalized todate.1.28 Tourist Facilitation and InformationCounter is the first of a kind counter thatcaters to non-English speaking tourists and isalso connected to the 24x7 Helpline – ‘1363’of the Tourism Ministry where the touristscan speak directly with the foreign languageagents and get guidance in French, German,Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean,Chinese and Arabic. It is currently available atNew Delhi, Varanasi, Bodhgaya, Bangalore,and Kolkata with service getting extended to10 Annual Report 2019-20Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati and Hyderabad1.29 The Incredible India website showcasesrange of new contents, including a Google 360,that features virtual video content to providetourists with a walk through of our touristattractions and 24/7 Chat box interface toassist tourist for better planning and quickquery resolutions.1.30 ‘Incredible India’ mobile application,launched on 27th of September 2018, assistsinternational and domestic tourists to accessinformation about Ministry of Tourismrecognized tourism service providers namelyapproved Inbound Tour Operators, AdventureTour Operators, Domestic Tour Operators,Tourist Transport Operators, Travel Agents,Regional Level Guides, Classified Hotelsavailable in respective cities / Tourist centres.Details of the same will be given through thisapplication to the tourists on their mobilephones based on their current location. Touristcan also query similar details for any other cityhe plans to travel in future. In addition to this,the application will provide places of interest.1.31 During the inaugural session ofthe Buddhist conclave on 23 August2018, the Ministry launched websiteIndiathelandofbuddha.in. This website aimsto promote and showcase the rich BuddhistHeritage in India and highlight the majordestinations visited by Buddha personallyacross the country besides showcasing theBuddhist Heritage left behind by his disciplesincluding the modern monasteries.1.32 Paryatan Parv, 2019 was celebratedfrom 2nd to 13th October, 2019 at Nationallevel and from 2 nd to 6 th October 2019 atRajpath Lawns, New Delhi. The objectiveof Paryatan Parv, 2019 was to propagate theidea of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’, ‘Tourism for All’and ‘Tourism and Governance’ during whichdomestic tourism was widely promoted.The Central theme of Paryatan Parv, 2019was dedicated to celebrating ‘150 th birthanniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’.1.33The Ministry of Tourism presentsMahatma GandhiNational Tourism Award every year to theState Governments / Tourism stake holders forexcellence in the field of tourism. The NationalTourism Award function for the period 201718 was organized on 27th September, 2019 atVigyan Bhawan, New Delhi to coincide withWorld Tourism Day. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu,Hon’ble Vice president of India gave awaythe National Tourism Awards 2017-18 heldat Vigyan Bhawan on 27th September 2019 tothe winners.untapped tourism potential of the NorthEast region in the domestic and internationalmarkets and to increase tourism in the region.“International Tourism Mart” (ITM) inassociation with the North Eastern States washeld in Imphal, Manipur from 23 Novemberto 25 November , 2019.1.34 In order to recognize the effortsof State/UT Governments to maintaintourist places clean, awards titled “SwachhtaAward” and “Best Civic Management of atourist destination in India Award” has beeninstituted by the Ministry.1.36 For a better and smooth travelexperience of Tourists in the restricted/Protected area of the country, Ministry ofTourism regularly coordinates with Ministryof Home Affairs and as a result of this Ministryof Home Affairs has relaxed the PAP/RAP fora further period of 5 Years i.e. till 31.12.2022 inthe states of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagalandand Union Territory of Andaman & NicobarIslands.1.35 Ministry is giving special emphasison promotion and development of tourismin North East region and Jammu & Kashmir.International Tourism Mart is organisedannually with an objective to showcase the1.37 U n d e r A d o p t a H e r i t a g e , 2 6Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs)have been awarded to 12 Monument Mitras fortwenty-four (24) sites and two (2) Technologicalinterventions across India.vvvMinistry of Tourism 11
Chapter- 2Nubra ValleyMinistry of Tourism and itsFunctions
7)CHAPTER22.1Ministry of Tourism and itsFunctionsand Catering Technology (NCHMCT);and the Institutes of Hotel Management(IHMs).The OrganizationMinistry of Tourism is the nodal agency toformulate national policies and programmesfor the development and promotion oftourism. In the process, the Ministry consultsand collaborates with other stakeholdersin the sector including various CentralMinistries/ Agencies, State Governments/Union Territory Administrations and therepresentatives of the private sector.Shri Prahlad Singh Patel is the Minister of State(Independent Charge) for Tourism.India Tourism Development Corporation(ITDC) is the only public sector undertakingunder the charge of the Ministry of Tourism.The Ministry also has the followingautonomous institutions:(i)Indian Institute of Tourism and TravelManagement (IITTM).(ii)National Council for Hotel Management14 Annual Report 2019-20a.International Bodiesb.Bilateral Agreementsc.External Assistanced.Foreign Technical Collaboration8)Legislation and Parliamentary Work9)Establishment Matters10)Overall Review of the Functioning ofthe Field Offices11)Vigilance Matters4)5)6)Regulation:a.Approval and classification ofhotels, restaurants, IncredibleIndia Bed & Breakfast (IIB&B)unitsb.Approval of Travel Agents, TourOperators and Tourist TransportOperators, etc.Inspection & Quality Control:a.Guide serviceb.Complaints and redressalInfrastructure Development:(iii)Indian Culinary Institute (ICI).12)Official Language: Implementation ofOfficial Language Policya.Release of incentivesb.Tourist facilitation and information2.2Role and Functions of the Ministry ofTourism13)VIP Referencesc.Conventions & Conferences14)Budget Co-ordination and RelatedMatters15)Plan Co-ordination16)Overseas Marketing (OM) Work17)Welfare, Grievances and Protocola.Policy2.2.2In addition to above, this Ministry hasalso the following functions:b.Strategiesc.Coordination1)Assistance in the formulation ofpolicies by providing feedback fromthe field officesd.Supervisione.Promotion & Marketingf.Hospitality programmes2.2.11)Secretary (Tourism) is the executive chiefof the Ministry. The Directorate General ofTourism has 20 Domestic field offices and anIndian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineeringwithin the country and 08 overseas offices. Theoverseas offices promote Indian tourism in themarkets abroad.The domestic field offices also play a vitalrole for promotion of tourism sector in thecountry. They are also involved in monitoringthe progress of implementation of projectssanctioned by the Ministry to the StateGovernments/Union Territories.International Co-operation andExternal Assistance:The Ministry has the following mainfunctions:All policy matters including:a.Development Policiesb.Incentivesc.External Assistanced.Manpower Developmente.Promotion & Marketingf.Investment Facilitationg.Growth Strategies2)Planning3)Co-ordination with other Ministries,Departments, States/Union rdsb.Guidelines7)8)2)Monitoring of plan projects andassisting in the plan formulation3)Co-ordinating the activities of the fieldoffices and their supervisionHuman Resource Development:a.Developing HRD Institutionsb.Setting standards and guidelinesPublicity & Marketing:9)Parliamentary Work10)Establishment Matters of Ministry ofTourism.vvvInfrastructure & Product Development:a.Central Assistanceb.Distribution of Tourism ProductsResearch, Analysis, Monitoring andEvaluationMinistry of Tourism 15
Chapter- 3Ministry of Tourism-Role,Synergy and Convergence
CHAPTER33.1Ministry of Tourism-Role,Synergy and ConvergenceRoleThe activities of this Ministry revolvesaround promoting internal tourism, i.e. bothinbound and domestic tourism, in India. Thisis necessary in order to harness the direct andmultiplier effect of tourism on employmentand poverty eradication in the country.The other major objectives of the Ministrypertain projecting the country as a 365 days’tourist destination, promoting tourism in asustainable manner by active participationof all segments of the society, assuringquality standards amongst tourism serviceproviders, etc. Apart from these, the focus isalso on integrated development of tourisminfrastructure and facilities through effectivepartnership with various stakeholders. Therole of Government in tourism developmenthas been re-defined from that of a regulatorto that of a catalyst and requires synergy andconvergence with different stakeholders. Thismakes the task extremely challenging.3.2Synergy and Convergence3.2.1StakeholdersThe Ministry of Tourism’s constant endeavouris to ensure that the different segments ofthe tourism sector, Partner Ministries & theirexecuting arms (Organisations, Authorities,Bureaus, Partnerships, Corporations andUndertakings), State machineries and IndustryAssociations work in conjunction with oneanother keeping aspirations in sync with thelarger benefit of tourism.3.2.2Partner Ministries18 Annual Report 2019-20In its bid to strive for convergence, the Ministryof Tourism works in close collaboration withvarious Ministries and Departments of theGovernment of India viz. Finance, ExternalAffairs, Culture, Civil Aviation, UrbanDevelopments, Road Transport & Highways,Railways, etc. and various States/UnionTerritory Administrations.3.2.3Executional Arms of the GovernmentThe Ministry has a strong liaison with theexecutional / functional arms which areunder the aegis of different Ministries. Theseinclude Organisations, Authorities, Bureaus,Partnerships, Corporations and Undertakinglike Archaeological Survey of India(ASI),Bureau of Immigration (BOI), India TourismDevelopment Corporation (ITDC), IndianConvention Promotion Bureau (ICPB), PortTrust of India, Tourism Finance Corporationof India (TFCI), Experience India Society etc.3.2.4Industry AssociationsMinistry of Tourism is in constant dialoguewith Industry associations namely Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerceand Industry (FICCI), PHD Chamber ofCommerce & Industry (PHDCCI), AssociatedChambers of Commerce & Industry of India(ASSOCHAM), Confederation of IndianIndustry (CII), Travel Agents Associationof India (TAAI), Indian Association of TourOperators (IATO), Indian Tourist TransportAssociation (ITTA), Association of DomesticTour Operators of India (ADTOI), AdventureTour Operators of India (ATOI), Federationof Hotel & Restaurant Association of India(FHRAI), Hotel Association of India (HAI),Indian Heritage Hotel Association (IHHA),Federation of Associations of Indian Tourismand Hospitality (FAITH), and All India ResortDevelopment Association (AIRDA) etc.3.2.5 Inter-Ministerial CoordinationCommittee on Tourism SectorThe Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committeeon Tourism Sector (IMCCTS) constituted underthe Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretaryfacilitates resolution of Inter- Ministerialissues involved in the development of tourismin the country. A meeting to review theupdated status/ progress of existing agendaitems of the IMCCTS was held on 20thNovember, 2019 under the Chairmanshipof Secretary (Tourism). All-important InterMinisterial issues relating to development oftourism were discussed in the meeting. Thefollowing Ministries/Departments attendedthe meeting:1)2)3)4)5)Ministry of Home AffairsMinistry of Civil AviationMinistry of Road Transport & HighwaysMinistry of CultureMinistry of Development of NorthEastern Region6)7)8)9)10)11)12)3.2.5Ministry of FinanceMinistry of ShippingMinistry of CommerceInland Water Ways Authority of India(IWWAI)Department of RevenueArchaeological Survey of India (ASI)State Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh,Sikkim & Uttar PradeshNational Tourism Advisory CouncilThe National Tourism Advisory Council(NTAC) serves as a think tank of the Ministryof Tourism. The present NTAC was constitutedon 27th October, 2016 under the chairmanshipof Hon’ble Minister (Tourism) with a tenure of3 years. The committee consists of importantMinistries, individual experts in the field oftravel and tourism management and Ex-officiomembers from industry associations. Twomeetings of the council were organized during2018-19 and one meeting was organizedduring 2019-20. First meeting was organizedon 12th April, 2018 in Delhi and the secondmeeting was held on 21st February, 2019 inGujarat. The third meeting of the NTAC heldon 4th October 2019 at VIP Lounge, ParyatanParv, Rajpath Lawns, New Delhi.vvvMinistry of Tourism 19
Chapter- 4Taj Mahal, AgraTourism InfrastructureDevelopment
CHAPTER4Tourism InfrastructureDevelopment4.1.1 I n t e g r a t e d D e v e l o p m e n t o fTourist Circuits around Specific Themes SWADESH DARSHAN: Swadesh Darshanscheme, launched during 2014-15, has avision to develop theme based tourist circuitson the principles of high tourist value,competitiveness and sustainability in anintegrated manner by synergizing efforts tofocus on needs and concerns of all stakeholdersto enrich tourist experience and enhanceemployment opportunities. Under the schemefifteen thematic circuits have been identifiedfor development, namely: North-East IndiaCircuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit,Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit,Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit,Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, RamayanaCircuit, Heritage Circuit, Tirthankar Circuit &Sufi Circuit. Since the inception of the scheme,an amount of Rs. 6035.70 crore has beensanctioned for 77 projects with a total releaseof Rs. 3676.14 crore (till 31.12.2019) covering allthematic circuits under the Swadesh DarshanScheme.4.1.2 The ‘National Mission on PilgrimageRejuvenation and Spiritual, AugmentationDrive’ (PRASAD) has been launched by theMinistry of Tourism with the objective ofholistic development of identified pilgrimageand heritage destinations. The schemeaimed at infrastructure development suchas development/up gradation of destinationentry points viz. passenger terminals (of road,rail and water transport), basic convenienceslike tourism Information/InterpretationCenters with ATM/ Money exchange counters,improvement of road connectivity (last mile22 Annual Report 2019-20connectivity), procurement of equipmentfor eco-friendly modes of transport andequipment for tourist activities such as Light& Sound Show, water/adventure sports,renewable sources of energy for touristinfrastructure, parking facilities, toilets, cloakroom facilities, waiting rooms, constructionof craft haats/bazars / souvenir shops/cafeteria, rain shelters, watch towers, firstaid centers, improvement in communicationthrough establishing telephone booths,mobile services, internet connectivity, Wi-Fihotspot. In addition, Shoreline development& rejuvenation of natural water bodies havealso been included. In view of the decisiontaken by the Government for closure ofHRIDAY scheme of the Ministry of Housingand Urban Development and for inclusionof projects for development of Heritagedestinations in PRASAD Scheme, the schemeguidelines have been modified and thenomenclature of the scheme has also beenchanged from PRASAD to “National Missionon Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual,Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)”in October 2017.As on date total number of sites identified fordevelopment under the scheme at present are51 in 28 states. Thesesites are Amaravati andSrisailam (Andhra Pradesh), ParasuramKund(Lohit District, Arunachal Pradesh), Kamakhya(Assam), Patna and Gaya (Bihar), BalmeshwariDevi Temple (Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh),St. Bom Jesus Church (Goa), Dwarka andSomnath (Gujarat), Gurudwara Nada Saheb,(Panchkula district, Haryana), MaaChintpurni(Una, Himachal Pradesh), Hazratbal and KatraVaranasi Ghat(Jammu & Kashmir), Deogarh and Parasnath(Jharkhand), Chamundeshwari Devi (MysuruDistrict, Karnataka), Guruvayoor, St. ThomasInternational Shrine, CheramanJuma Mosque(Kerala), Omkareshwar and Amarkantak(Madhya Pradesh), Trimbakeshwar(Maharashtra), CharanthalaDurga TempleBabedpara, Nartiang Shakti Temple,Nongsawlia Church- Sohra, Madan Air NarSacred Pool Near Jowai (Meghalaya), ChangsilKai- Sairang, Presbyterian Church- Dawrpui,Khawruhlian, Solomon’s Temple, KidronValley and Serkawr (Mizoram), Cathedral ofKohima, Noksen Church, Mission Compound,Aizuto, Molungkimong and VankhosungWokha (Nagaland), Puri (Odisha), Amritsar(Punjab), Ajmer (Rajasthan), AstaChiranjeeviHanuman Temple (Sikkim), Kanchip
cultural heritage and strengthens peace in the world. 1.2 Facilitation as well as strengthening of tourism in India is the main objective of Ministry of Tourism. Augmenting tourism infrastructure, easing of visa regime, assurance of quality standards in services of tourism service providers, projection of the country as
