New Delhi: In a bid to diversify tourism and boost the local economy of Union territories (UTs), the government is promoting a variety of new tourism initiatives. These include astro-tourism, eco-tourism, nature and biodiversity heritage tourism, cultural tourism, wellness and spiritual tourism, adventure tourism, monsoon tourism, experiential tourism, religious tourism, cruise tourism, as well as Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE). Additionally, the promotion extends to tribal, rural, border, horticulture, sports and destination wedding tourism, according to Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai.
Speaking about the tourism preferences of people, Rakesh Roy, a tourism expert from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, told ETV Bharat, "People have their preferences when it comes to choosing tourist destinations. Some are drawn to adventurous activities like river rafting or biking. In our country, there is a growing interest in visiting Union Territories (UTs) for tourism."
To boost the tourism potential of UTs, local art and traditional crafts are being promoted in the UTs, and restoration, beautification and landscaping of various tourist and heritage sites are also being done. Moreover, emphasis has also been laid on community engagement in the promotion of tourism in UTs, in order to ensure inclusive and responsible tourism. Some key tourism projects undertaken in the UTs include the setting up of the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh (the first-ever Dark Sky Reserve in India), development of world-class seafronts, riverfronts and tent cities in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, development of MICE infrastructure in Puducherry, opening up of new trekking routes in Ladakh, identification of off-beat tourist destinations in Jammu & Kashmir, development of inter-city tourism circuits in Chandigarh, celebration of cultural festivals such as Zanskar Festival in Ladakh, and Wullar Festival in Jammu & Kashmir, Nityanand Rai informed the Rajya Sabha.