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.
Satinder Pal Singh, a tourism expert, from Rajasthan, told ETV Bharat, "If the government promotes tourism in UTs then it will definitely help to boost economy as well as employment in those areas." "Tourism in UTs will help to grow a large number of people who are involved in the tourism sector like hotel staff, plumbing workers, carpenters, painters, designers, transporters, wedding organisers and agri product sellers," Pal said.
Various initiatives have been taken to boost the potential of eco-tourism in the island Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&NI) and Lakshadweep. To promote eco-friendly and sustainable tourism, enabling physical infrastructure is being created in these UTs, Rai said.
The development of eco-tourism resorts, tent resorts, beach villas and India’s first water villas in Lakshadweep. Similarly, eco-tourism projects have also been planned in Andaman & Nicobar Islands in a holistic development framework, with the construction of premium island resorts, premium tents and tree houses. Further, to further boost the potential of eco-tourism in these island UTs, infrastructure facilities for blue flag certification of more beaches are also being created.
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