Tourism is one of the largest employment generating sectors and plays a vital role in direct & indirect employment: Shri G Kishan Reddy
Key Highlights
- Shri G. Kishan Reddy launched the digital booklet 75 incredible sites to visit in India and Incredible India 2022 digital calendar
- Tourism Minister emphasised on aggressive promotion of various tourism products that India has to offer to the world
- Tourism Minister discussed the importance of domestic tourism and plans to start Tourism Clubs to create more awareness among the students and youth of our country
- The theme of this year’s celebration is Rural and Community Centric Tourism
The Ministry of Tourism commemorated National Tourism Day by hosting a two-hour virtual event on the 25th of January 2022, as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations commemorating India’s 75th year of independence.
Theme for this year’s National Tourism Day
The celebration’s theme this year is Rural and Community-Based Tourism. Rural tourism provides important economic and employment prospects for communities that are grappling with the rising problem of providing sustainable livelihoods to their residents.
The ceremony was hosted by Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Culture, and DoER, who also served as the Chief Guest.
Shri Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, gave the opening remarks, which were followed by speeches from Shri Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Shri Govind Mohan, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Smt. Leena Nandan, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri G. Ashok Kumar, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga, Shri Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group, and Col. Manoj Keshwar, Atulya Ganga Parikrama.
Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoNER, inaugurated the digital guidebook 75 wonderful spots to see in India and the Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India 2022 digital calendar dedicated to tourism sites during the programme. In his speech, the Minister emphasised the need for vigorous marketing of the numerous tourism goods that India has to offer the globe.
Tourism is one of the most important job-creating industries, with both direct and indirect employment. He also talked about the significance of domestic tourism and his intentions to launch Tourism Clubs to raise awareness among our country’s schools and young.
He also emphasised the need of promoting tourism, particularly in the North-Eastern area and use the region’s potential. The Minister discussed how India may grow its share in the global tourism sector.
He also urged businesses to participate in the Adopt a Heritage programme as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts. He discussed how to make use of the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s, Ministry of Culture’s, Ministry of Railways’, and other ministries’ expertise in order to boost tourism in the country.
Shri Arvind Singh, Secretary of, Ministry of Tourism, spoke about how the tourism sector has emerged as one of India’s important drivers of economic growth in his introductory comments.
Tourism fosters national integration and raises public awareness of our country’s natural beauty and rich cultural history. It also stimulates cultural interests and supports local handicrafts while promoting inter-regional partnerships.
We’ve seen how Pochampally textiles and Raghurajpur art forms have become key tourist attractions for both local and foreign visitors.
Such ideas must be reproduced in other regions of India in order to provide economic advantages from tourism to local populations, create jobs, and bridge the cultural barrier between urban and rural areas.
Shri Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, emphasised the significance of Indian handloom and handicrafts, which symbolise our country’s rich history and legacy. He also discussed how handlooms and handicrafts are linked to tourism and how they contribute to improving travel experiences.
Shri Govind Mohan, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, spoke on the link between culture and tourism. India is home to the world’s finest ideologies, temple complexes, world heritage sites, arts and crafts, and world heritage sites. India is a vast cultural storehouse with numerous and unrivalled cultural nuances, which we must assimilate.
Smt. Leena Nandan, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, stressed the importance of eco-tourism. She also gave her thoughts on how the country’s tourist potential and growth may be used in a responsible and long-term manner. Tourism can assist communities and stakeholders who are directly or indirectly linked to the country’s biodiversity, such as tiger reserves, sanctuaries, and marine zones, to improve their livelihood options.
Shri G. Ashok Kumar, Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, spoke about the initiative that was started for the comprehensive regeneration, restoration, and protection of the Ganga Basin.
Ensure effective pollution emission reductions and rejuvenation of the Ganga River by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral coordination for comprehensive planning and management, and to maintain minimum ecological flows in the Ganga River in order to ensure water quality and environmentally sustainable development.
Shri Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, spoke on tourism in India and the necessity of domestic tourism for national unity. India’s rich diversity and legacy may appeal to a wide range of travellers, from low-budget travellers to those seeking unrivalled luxury.
Atulya Ganga Parikrama’s Col. Manoj Keshwar discussed his experience with Ganga Parikrama, a project with the goal of rejuvenating and restoring Indian rivers and their ecosystems.
The Ganga Parikrama began with a 190-day trip on foot from Prayagraj to Gangasagar, up to Gangotri, and back to Prayagraj, covering over 5530 kilometres and passing through many cities and villages, as well as millions of people.
Ministry of Tourism collaborated with MyGov to organise activities such as National Tourism Day-Poster Design Contest, National Tourism Day-Caller Tune Contest, National Tourism Day-Picture Quiz, and a write-up contest on ‘Unseen India’ – 75 Lesser-Known sites in India for active Janbhagidari and as an outreach programme for citizens. Everyone in India is welcome to participate in these events, and the winners will get amazing rewards.
The government announced a slew of tax and relief measures aimed at boosting the tourism industry, including financial assistance to over 11,000 registered tourist guides and travel and tourism stakeholders, as well as the issuance of 5 lakh free tourist visas.
India has accomplished the historic milestone of providing 150 crore vaccination doses to people, and the year 2022 is off to a strong start with the expansion of the scope to cover youngsters aged 15 to 17.
Due to the ongoing epidemic, tourism has been impacted all around the world, including India, in the previous two years. National Tourism Day activities will assist to raise awareness in the country about the significance of tourism and its social, cultural, political, and economic worth, in keeping with the Prime Minister’s request for every citizen to visit at least 15 places by 2022 to encourage domestic tourism.
A steady increase in domestic tourism will aid in the healing and progress of society in many ways.
Rural tourism is being recognised by the government as one of the areas in which India may succeed. The United Nations World Tourism Organization recently named Pochampally village in Telangana as one of the best Tourism Villages in the world for its crafts, reforms, and historical significance, out of three nominations submitted by the Ministry of Tourism: Ladhpura Khas in Madhya Pradesh, Kongthong village in Meghalaya, and Pochampally village in Telangana.
After the pandemic situation improves, the Ministry of Tourism considers holding a physical event at Pochampally. Rural tourism can assist to distribute tourism in densely populated nations by diverting visitors away from the more well-known, crowded sites and generating employment and economic activity in other areas.
To commemorate National Tourism Day, the Ministry of Tourism’s field offices around India held webinars, quiz contests, elocution competitions, Heritage Walk Incredible India branding at airports, and on taxis, among other events. Cultural Programs, Rural Food Ethnic Cuisine Competition, Nukkd Natak, and other events were also organised by the Institute of Hotel Management (IHMs), Food Crafts Institutes (FCI), and Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism Management (IITTM).
YouTube link for the show: https://youtube.com/c/incredibleindia
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