PROMOTION OF GREEN TOURISM : 57 destinations have been identified for development under Swadesh Darshan 2.0

List includes Koraput, Debrigarh along with special attraction of ‘khinda village’(odisha)

New Delhi: As per UNWTO barometer, May 2024, International tourism is experiencing a rapid recovery in Asia and Pacific where arrivals reached 82% of pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2024. India shows one of the strongest recoveries in Asia and Pacific region where arrivals reached 89% of pre-pandemic levels in the same period.

To position India as a preferred global destination for sustainable and responsible tourism, Ministry of Tourism has formulated National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism. The following strategic pillars have been identified for the development of sustainable tourism: –

(i)        Promoting Environmental Sustainability

(ii)       Protecting Biodiversity

(iii)      Promoting Economic Sustainability

(iv)      Promoting Socio-Cultural Sustainability

(v)       Scheme for Certification of Sustainable Tourism

(vi)      IEC and Capacity Building

(vii)   Governance

The Ministry of Tourism has revamped its Swadesh Darshan scheme in the form of Swadesh Darshan 2.0 with the mission to create a robust framework for integrated development of tourism destinations in partnership with the States/UTs and local governments for promoting sustainable and responsible tourism in the country.

In consultation with the State Government/UT Administrations, 57 destinations across 32 States/UTs have been identified, till date, for development under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme. Details of which are given in Annexure-I.

“Challenge Based Destination Development”, a sub-scheme under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 aims for holistic development of a destination to enhance tourist experience across all of tourism value chain to transform our tourist destinations as sustainable and responsible destinations. Under this Scheme, the Ministry has identified 42 destinations under 4 categories, (i): Culture & Heritage Destinations, (ii): Spiritual Tourism, (iii): Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Destinations and (iv): Vibrant Villages Program Destination. The details of destinations identified under the category Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar are given in Annexure-II.

This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

ANNEXURE-I

The list of destinations identified under Swadesh Darshan 2.0:

S. No.	States/Union Territory	Destinations Identified
1	Andhra Pradesh	Gandikota, Arakku-Lambassingi
2	Arunachal Pradesh	Nacho, Mechuka
3	Assam	Jorhat, Kokrajhar
4	Bihar	Gaya, Nalanda
5	Chhattisgarh	Bilaspur, Jagdalpur
6	Goa	Porvorim, Colva
7	Gujarat	Dholavira, Dwarka
8	Haryana	Panchkula (Morni)
9	Himachal Pradesh	Pong Dam
10	Jammu & Kashmir	Basholi
11	Jharkhand	Chandil
12	Karnataka	Hampi, Mysuru
13	Kerala	Kumarakom, Kozhikode (Beypore)
14	Madhya Pradesh	Gwalior, Chitrakoot
15	Maharashtra	Sindhudurg, Ajanta-Ellora
16	Manipur	Moirang (Bishnupur)
17	Meghalaya	Shillong, Sohra
18	Mizoram	Aizawl, Champhai
19	Nagaland	Niuland, Chumukedima
20	Odisha	Koraput, Debrigarh along with special attraction of ‘khinda village’
21	Punjab	Amritsar, Kapurthala
22	Rajasthan	Bundi (Keshoraipatan), Jodhpur
23	Sikkim	Gangtok, Gyalshing
24	Tamil Nadu	Mamallapuram, The Nilgiris
25	Telangana	Bhongir, Ananthagiri
26	Tripura	Agartala, Unakoti
27	Uttar Pradesh	Prayagraj, Naimisharanya
28	Uttarakhand	Pittoragarh, Champavat
29	Chandigarh	Chandigarh
30	Lakshadweep	Lakshadweep
31	Puducherry	Puducherry, Karaikal
32	Ladakh	Leh, Kargil
	Total	57

ANNEXURE-II

List of Destinations identified under Challenge Based Destination Development in the Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Category:

S. No.	Destinations	State/UT
1	Bichom Dam	Arunachal Pradesh
2	Sivasagar	Assam
3	Mayali Bagicha	Chhattisgarh
4	Mayem Village	Goa
5	Thol Village	Gujarat
6	Udupi	Karnataka
7	Mushkoh Village	Ladakh
8	Lakshadweep	Lakshadweep
9	Doyang Reservior	Nagaland
10	Kamareddy	Telangana