Lakshadweep in focus, domestic tourism to get a boost
- Recently, a special emphasis was laid on domestic tourism by finance minister in her budget speech
- She asked all state governments to take up comprehensive development of iconic tourist centres along with branding and marketing them at a global scale.
Key Highlights
- There is also a renewed focus on port connectivity and infrastructure development on islands, including Lakshadweep
- On the archipelago of 35 islands, the government will undertake “projects for port connectivity, tourism infrastructure, and amenities on our islands, including Lakshadweep.
- This will help in generating employment in the Union Territory, she said.
- Consequently, the Ministry of Tourism’s flagship Swadesh Darshan scheme (for integrated development of tourist circuits around specific themes)
- Has an increased outlay of Rs 1,750 crore for 2024-25, compared to Rs 818 crore in the previous year, and Rs 1,412 crore a year before that.
- In a first, the FM has also announced a framework for rating iconic tourist destinations based on the quality of facilities being offered
- also offering long-term interest-free loans to states for developing these destinations.
- Late last year, the ministry worked out a model for setting up a city-level MICE Promotion Bureau at important destinations for facilitating and promoting the city as a MICE destination.
- It also launched a dedicated brand called ‘Meet in India’ to promote India as a conference tourism destination.
- The Ministry launched the ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD) scheme in 2014-2015
- To provide financial assistance to states and UTs for infrastructure development at tourist destinations.
Prelims Takeaway
- PRASHAD
- MICE Promotion Bureau