Sustainable__tourism_planning_ASSG_2

8/7/2019 Sustainable__tourism_planning_ASSG_2

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SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLANNING

AND

DEVELOPMENT

HMT-560

Assignment

On

RURAL AREAS

Submitted by: - Submitted to:-

Nitish Rawat Mr. Pankaj

Roll no: - RV8901A17

SESSION (2009-11)


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Rural Tourism

Rural Tourism showcases the rural life, art, culture and heritage of India,at rural

locations in villages and benefits the local community economically and socially. It

enables interaction between tourists and local population for a mutually enrichingexperience, the Government of India has taken several steps to develop and promote

rural tourism. The Ministry of Tourism has partnered with the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP) for Endogenous Rural Tourism as pilot projects for

capacity building. Within prescribed limits, this Ministry funds the hardware projects and

the funds for capacity building were provided by the UNDP through this Ministry The

software component was implemented with the involvement of an NGO/Gram

Panchayat identified by the UNDP in co-ordination with the District Collector and the

local community. The Ministry also extends the scheme of Capacity Building for Service

Providers (CBS) to other rural sites beyond those covered under partnership with the

IJNDP.

The focal point for each site is the District Collector for ensuring convergence with other

Yojanas and Schemes. The project implementation is monitored by the Project Standing

Committee chaired by the Joint Secretary (Tourism). Field visits are conducted by the

Ministry of Tourism-UNDP Teams.

To monitor the projects, the National Workshops and Regional Review Meetings have

been held regularly where initiatives were taken to further strengthen the scheme which

included home-stay with food, guide- training among the local youth, enhancing the role

of women, linkage with tout operators and encouragement of the foreign students to

stay with the rural host community, etc. In some sites, e.g Hodka, Pocharnpalli,

Kumbhalangi, Karaikudi (Chettinad), Aranmula, Raghurajpur, tour operators are

involving such communities within their groups.

UNDP has created a panel of architects to advise, guide and provide design inputs for

site hardware work plan with sensitivity to the local environment using local skills,

material and style. In many sites, the architects have been able to give new dimensions

which are based on local skill, material and style


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Going Rural: Tourism Focuses on India's Hinterland

Indians believe in holidays: The country hasamong the largest number of public holidays

in the world. Yet the most common reason for

getting away is to "visit a native place."

Migrant workers return to their family farms at

harvest time. Others return to their villages (and extended families) for an annual

pilgrimage. The concept of a holiday where you let your hair down and relax has been

accepted only in recent years.

The idea of rural tourism is, therefore, a bit of a puzzle for many Indians. They go back

to their village every year; why should they pay good money to go to some other

village? Rustic charms hold greater appeal for foreign tourists. Concerted government

and travel industry efforts to sell India abroad with campaigns such as "Incredible India"

began only this decade, but rural tourism as a product is still evolving.

A national tourism policy was introduced in 2002, with rural tourism identified as a focusarea to generate employment and promote sustainable livelihoods. "As a part of the

National Tourism Policy 2002, the Ministry of Tourism is developing and promoting rural

tourism sites which have core competency in art, craft, culture, heritage, handloom,

etc.," Union Ministry of Tourism Secretary Sujit Banerjee said recently in a statement.

According to the 2002 policy, "Special thrust should be imparted to rural tourism and

tourism in small settlements, where sizable assets of our culture and natural wealth

exist."

Just what is rural tourism? The government has taken a broad view. "Any form of

tourism that showcases rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations, thereby

benefiting the local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction

between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience, can be


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termed as rural tourism," says a Ministry of Tourism policy paper. "Rural tourism is

essentially an activity which takes place in the countryside. It is multifaceted and may

entail farm/agricultural tourism, cultural tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism and

ecotourism. As against conventional tourism, rural tourism has certain typical

characteristics: It is experience-oriented; the locations are sparsely populated; it is

predominantly in natural environments; it meshes with seasonality and local events; and

it is based on the preservation of culture, heritage and traditions."

Not everyone applies such a broad definition. Ecotourism -- which concerns itself with

the preservation of the environment while offering the best to tourists -- is more

fashionable these days. And some in government and the tourism industry would like to

focus on ecotourism rather than rural tourism, which could have a down-market, rough-it-out connotation. "Ecotourism and rural tourism are not exactly the same but can be

clubbed together for greater benefits," says Md. Jawaid, a former minister in the eastern

state of Bihar who has promoted the website ecotourismindia.com. "This is just an

information site now," Jawaid says. "It is a small effort on my part to promote tourism in

the rural areas of India. But we have big plans. The potential is huge."

Rajesh K. Aithal, assistant professor of marketing at the Indian Institute of Management,

Lucknow, has another definition. "Rural tourism is a form of tourism in which the guestsget to enjoy the unique culture of village life through participation in events, or

experiencing the local cuisine, or buying ethnic goods, and in the process also improve

the welfare of the local people."

Two Types of Tourism

Mandip Singh Soin, president of the Ecotourism Society of India, a group of tourism

professionals and environmentalists formed with the Ministry of Tourism's backing, saysthe concept can be confusing. "Rural tourism is understood differently in different parts

of the world," he notes. "Ecotourism and rural tourism are the same only in a sense.

They are cousins really. Rural tourism may not necessarily be the protector and


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enhancer of conservation. It is much more community-oriented. Ecotourism is more

holistic; all responsible tourism actions come into play."

The difference is best illuminated by a couple of examples. As part of its 2002 plan, the

government partnered with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for anEndogenous Tourism Project. Some 30 rural sites were selected in 20 states to develop

as destinations for rural tourists. The UNDP pumped in an initial US$2.5 million. The

government asked the states and union territories to submit proposals. Those that were

selected were entitled to assistance up to US$100,000.

One of the project's success stories is Hodka village in Gujarat. A village tourism

committee owns and operates the Shaam-e-Sarhad ("Sunset at the Border") Village

Resort. The accommodations are simple. Tourists can stay in tents or traditional mud

huts, known as bhungas. All have attached bathrooms, Western toilets and showers.

The resort can accommodate up to 30 people. Staying in tents costs around US$40 a

night, while the bhungas are more expensive, around US$60 a night. Among the

attractions: specially organized workshops in embroidery and leather work; interactions

with other artisan communities; wildlife including flamingos, pelicans, foxes and

leopards; and nearby archaeological sites of the Indus Valley Civilization. In January

2008, there was even a pashu mela -- a cattle fair. All this activity has had to beorganized, packaged and sold.

Far away from Hodka, in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, is Mawlynnong. Neither

the UNDP nor the government of India has been involved with this ecotourism effort's

success. Rather, a community effort has made it the poster child of rural tourism in

India. In 2003, Discover India (a magazine published by Media Transasia along with the

Union Ministry of Tourism) anointed it the cleanest village in Asia. It has retained its

charms. "Mawlynnong's reputation for cleanliness has even earned it a place on the

state's tourism map," according to a report by the BBC. "Hundreds of visitors from all

over India now visit the village throughout the year." Mawlynnong also attracts tourists

from around the world.


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tourism footprint ecologically. At the same time, we wanted to look at how tourism can

get its dollars to flow down the supply chain more equitably and involve the local

communities to be partners in tourism operations. We also want to be the watchdog of

tourism in the country."

Soin responds to criticism that rural tourism exploits poor people in the villages and

damages the environment. "This is not correct," he says. "Most revenues are being

earned and kept at the village level so it goes into the pockets of the villagers either as

direct individual earnings or collective cooperative efforts. In fact, in areas like [the

northeastern state of] Nagaland, where the ecology was being damaged by village lads

hunting rare pheasants, the trend got reversed when they saw the opportunity for

earning money as guides showing these pheasants to bird watchers." Adds Aithal ofIIM: "A well-executed rural tourism project has the potential of becoming a win-win

proposition both for the tourist and the villagers."

There is a lot of potential for rural tourism in India, Aithal notes. "'Rural' as an entity is

fast disappearing, especially in the developed world. Even for young urban Indians,

rural would be something that they would want to connect to." Adds Jawaid of

ecotourismindia.com: "Both Indians and foreigners can be targeted." For the moment,

however, it's the foreign tourist who is being wooed. "Initially, the target will beforeigners as this is a novelty for them," Soin says. "It may not be that novel an

experience for Indians. Indians demand more comfort in lodging and are less prone to

roughing it out."

"Rural tourism is in its nascent stage in India," Aithal notes. "But it will grow. There is a

huge market out there. The experience of many countries shows that rural tourism can

be seen as an alternate source of livelihood and employment. The main problems with

rural tourism are the same as with any rural development project. Can you scale up

these projects? Can you replicate them? And how do you make these projects stand on

their own without money being pumped in from outside? For this you need very strong

village-level institutions, which can take up the execution once the project has been

initiated."


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According to Fabindia's Bissell, "If sites are selected with care, on the basis of potential

and core competency, and the project implementation focuses as much on the

'software' aspects of human development along with the 'hardware' of capacity building

and infrastructure development, there is every reason to anticipate a positive outcome.

As a multi-sectoral activity, using multiple services provided by a range of suppliers,

rural tourism is an area where a strong public-private partnership is of prime

importance, particularly given the number of ministries beyond tourism -- for example,

rural development, culture, environment and tribal welfare -- that could be involved."


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Scheme for Rural Tourism

Tourism growth potential can be harnessed as a strategy for Rural Development. The

development of a strong platform around the concept of Rural tourism is definitely useful

for a country like India, where almost 74% of the population resides in its 7 millionvillages. Across the world the trends of industrialization and development have had an

urban centric approach. Alongside, the stresses of urban lifestyles have led to a

counter-urbanization syndrome. This has led to growing interest in the rural areas. At

the same time this trend of urbanization has led to falling income levels, lesser job

opportunities in the rural areas leading to an urbanization syndrome in the rural areas.

Rural Tourism is one of the few activities which can provide a solution to these

problems. Besides, there are other factors which are shifting the trend towards ruraltourism like increasing levels of awareness, growing interest in heritage and culture and

improved accessibility, and environmental consciousness. In the developed countries,

this has resulted in a new style of tourism of visiting village settings to experience and

live a relaxed and healthy lifestyle. This concept has taken the shape of a formal kind of

Rural Tourism. Under this Scheme, thrust is to promote village tourism as the primary

tourism product to spread tourism and its socio-economic benefits to rural and its new

geographic regions. Key geographic regions are identified for development and

promotion of Rural Tourism. The implementation is done through a Convergence

Committee headed by the District Collector. Activities like improving the environment,

hygiene, infrastructure etc. are covered for assistance. Apart from providing financial

assistance, the focus is to tap the resources available under different schemes of

Department. of Rural Development, State Governments and other concerned

Departments of the Government of India.


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Government committed to promoting sustainable tourism: Minister

The governments efforts to create a new paradigm for sustainable development of

tourism in India have resulted in several environment friendly initiatives, union Tourism

Minister Kumari Selja .The initiatives focus on rural tourism, capacity development, linking rural communities to

the mainstream with tourism projects and stressing on the conservation of vernacular

and rural architecture, she said.

Our dedication towards according priority for tourism with inclusive growth is best

exemplified by our innovative rural tourism project that covers 166 rural sites across the

country, Selja said.

Given that the year 2010 is being celebrated as the International Year of Biodiversity,

India as a member of the 14-country Marrakech International Task Force on

Sustainable Tourism Development contributed widely in enabling the transition to a

United Nations Partnership for Sustainable Development and subsequent fostering of

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC), she said.

Selja said: The three pillars of sustainable tourism were environmental integrity, social

justice and economic development.

In this context, she said eco-tourism was a niche product with major revenue and

employment generation capacities.

Travel to eco-tourism destinations like national parks are growing but better

management of forests requires immediate attention, the minister said.

As a modest beginning, the government has set aside Rs.200 crore as a special golden

jubilee package for Goa to preserve its natural resources by restoring its erosion pronebeaches through sustainable forestry.

The tourism ministry is spearheading interactions with industry stakeholders under the

Tigers: Our National Beauties scheme to preserve natural habitats of tigers in eco-

tourism and rural destinations, she said.


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The inaugural session of the workshop was attended by Sultan Ahmed, minister of state

for tourism, Ashok Khosla, chairman of the International Union for Conservation of

Nature, Anand Kumar, joint secretary of tourism, Sujit Banerjee, secretary, ministry of

tourism, Rajesh Gopal, member secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority,

Mandip Singh Soin, president of the Eco-Tourism Society of India, Jose Dominic,

founder of the Our Native Village Bangalore and several others.

The workshop, divided into four sessions, addressed issues like Global Trends on

Sustainable Tourism, Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria and Tourism Sustainability

Council and Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria in Indian Context.

Part of our blueprint to promote India abroad as a holistic tourist destination is

sustainable tourism. Rural tourism is integral to the sustainability criteria. We had

started with 36 UNDP-supported rural tourism destinations and the number has now

swelled to 166. The rise in the number of tourism destinations has seen a 300 percent

increase in livelihoods of the rural and ethnic communities engaged in rural tourism

projects across the country, Sujit Banerjee, secretary, ministry of tourism, told IANS.

He cited Samod, a heritage village retreat in Rajasthan, as an example. It has a thriving

local handicrafts industry supported by the governments rural tourism initiative, he

said.

Delivering the keynote address, Khosla said: The changing climate and rising sea

levels were going to imperil several tourism destinations across India.

Citing figures, he said, nearly 15,000 sq km of area was turning into desert in India

every year and by 2030 the country will need the combined resources of three India to

support one nation.

Melting glaciers were a threat to the Himalayan destinations and the latest Census

showed that the tiger population in India was as low as nearly 1410, he said.

India has decide the model of tourism it has to follow to keep tourism self-sustaining,

Khosla said.


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Agritourism In India:Related concept of rural tourism

AGRI-TOURISM: INNOVATIVE INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITY FOR

ENTERPRISING FARMERS

Agriculture is backbone of Indian Economy. 85 percent of the population is directly or

indirectly dependent on Agriculture where as 26 percent of GDP comes from

Agriculture. 110 million farmers are dwelling in 6.25 lakh villages producing more than

200 MT of food grains feeding the country. More than profession, business, agriculture

is culture. Hence, adding additional income generating activities to existing Agriculture

would certainly increase contribution of Agriculture to national GDP. Serious efforts

need to be made in this direction. Agri-Tourism is one such activity.

Tourism is termed as instrument for employment generation, poverty alleviation and

sustainable human development. During 1999-2000, direct employment created by

tourism is 15.5 millions. Besides, tourism also promotes national integration,

international understanding and supports local handicrafts and cultural activities. During

2000, number of foreign tourists visited India is 26.41 lakhs. Indias share in world

tour market is just 0.38 percent. With this meager share, foreign exchange earned is

Rs.14,475 crores. Turnover in domestic tourism is much more than this. To promote

domestic tourism, thrust areas identified by Government of India are development of

infrastructure, product development and diversification, development of eco-adventure

sports, cultural presentations, providing inexpensive accommodation, streamlining

facilitation procedures at airports, human resource development, creating awareness

and public participation and facilitation of private sector participation. In this process,

important stakeholders are state and central department of tourism, Indian Institute of

Tourism and Travel Management, Tourism Development Corporations, foreignembassies, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Indian Association of Tour

Operators (IATO), Tourists, Transport Operators Association, Indian convention

promotion bureau and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).


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Promotion of Agri-tourism involves some more important stakeholders namely Ministry

of Agriculture and line departments at state and central governments and farmers.

Promotion of Agri-Tourism needs conceptual convergence with Rural Tourism, Eco-

Tourism, Health Tourism, Adventure Tourism and culinary adventures. Greatest

advantage of Agri-Tourism are:

1). It brings major primary sector Agriculture closer to major service sector tourism. This

convergence is expected to create win-win situation for both the sectors.

2). Tourism sector has potential to enlarge.

3). Agriculture sector has the capacity to absorb expansion in Tourism Sector.

Scope for Agri-Tourism:- Agri-Tourism has great scope in the present context for the

following reasons.

(1). An inexpensive gateway:- The cost of food, accommodation, recreation and travel is

minimum in Agri-Tourism. This widens the tourist base. Present concept of travel and

tourism is limited to urban and rich class which constitute only small portion of the

population. However, the concept of Agri-tourism takes travel and tourism to the larger

population, widening the scope of tourism due to its cost effectiveness.

(2). Curiosity about the farming industry and life style:- The urban population basically

which has roots in villages always has curiosity about sources of food, plants, animals,

raw materials like wood, handicrafts, languages, culture, tradition, dresses and lifestyle.

Agri-tourism which revolves around the farmers, villages and agriculture has the

capacity to satisfy the curiosity of this segment of population. Agri-tourism provides

scope for re-discoursing the rural life which is rich in diversity.

(3). Strong demand for wholesome family oriented recreational activities villages

provide recreational opportunities to all age groups i.e. children young, middle and old


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age, male, female, in total to the whole family at cheaper cost. Rural games, festivals,

food, dress and the nature provides variety of entertainment to the whole family.

(4). Health consciousness of urban population and finding solace with nature friendly

means Modern lifestyle has made the life stressful and average life span has

comedown. Hence, people are in constant search of pro-nature means to make life

more peaceful. Ayerveda which is pro-nature medical approach has roots in villages.

Indigenous medical knowledge of villagers is respected. Organic foods are in greater

demand in urban areas and foreign countries. In total, health conscious urban

population is looking towards pro-nature villages for solutions.

(5). Desire for peace and tranquility:- Modern life is the product of diversified thinkingand diversified activities. Every individual attempts to work more, in different directions

to earn more money to enjoy modern comforts. Hence, peace is always out of his

system. Tourism is the means for searching peaceful location. Peace and tranquility are

inbuilt in Agri-tourism as it is away from urban areas and close to nature.

(6). Interest in natural environment - Busy urban population is leaning towards nature.

Because, natural environment is always away from busy life. Birds, animals, crops,

mountains, water bodies, villages provide totally different atmosphere to urban

population in which they can forget their busy urban life.

(7). Disillusionment with over crowded resorts and cities - In resorts and cities, over

crowded peace seekers disturb each others peace. Hence, peace is beyond cities and

resorts. Even though efforts are made to create village atmosphere in the sub urban

areas through resorts, farm houses, it looks like a donkey painted with tiger colour.

Artificiality is highlighted and not satisfying.

(8). Nostalgia for their roots on the farm Cities are growing at the cost of villages.

Villagers are migrating to cities in search of jobs and seeking comforts of modern life.


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Hence, yesterdays villagers are todays urbanites. Deep in the heart of

urbanites lies the love and respect for their ancestors and villages. Hence, visit to

villages satisfies their desire. This is also expressed through the hatredness of urbanites

to flat culture and love for farmhouses located in the outskirts of cities. Any opportunity

to visit villages and spend time with family is dream of any urbanite. But, minimum

decent facilities are always problem. Agri-tourism attempts to overcome this problem.

(9). Rural recreation Villages provide varieties of recreation to urbanites through

festivals and handicrafts. Villagers (farmers) lifestyle, dress, languages, culture /

traditions which always add value to the entertainment. Agriculture environment around

farmers and the entire production process could create curiosity among urban taught.

Places of agriculture importance like highest crop yielding farm, highest animal yieldingfarm, processing units, farms where innovations tried add attraction to the tourists.

Agriculture products like farm gate fresh market, processed foods, organic food could

lure the urban tourists. As result of this Agri-atmosphere in the villages, there is scope to

develop Agri-tourism products like Agri-shopping, culinary tourism, pick and own your

tree / plot, bed and breakfast, pick and pay, bullock cart riding, camel riding, boating,

fishing, herbal walk, rural games and health (Ayurvedic) tourism.

(10). Educational value of Agri-Tourism:- Agri-tourism could create awareness about

rural life and knowledge about agriculture science among urban school childrens. It

provides a best alternative for school picnics which are urban based. It provides

opportunity for hands on experience for urban college students in Agriculture. It is a

means for providing training to future farmers. It would be effectively used as

educational and training tool to train agriculture and line department officers. This

provides unique opportunity for education through recreation where learning is fun

effective and easy. Seeing is believing, doing is learning and most importantly

experiences are USP of Agri-tourism.

Basic principles of Agri-Tourism : Agri-tourism should ensure the following three basic

principles.


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1. Have something for visitors to see:- Animals, birds, farms and nature are the few

things which Agri-tourism could offer to the tourist to see. Apart from these, culture,

dress, festivals and rural games could create enough interest among forest in Agri-

tourism.

2. Have something for visitors to do:- Participating in agricultural operations and

swimming, bullock cart riding, camel riding, buffalo riding, cooking and participating in

the rural games are the few activities to quote in which tourist can take part and enjoy.

3. Have something for visitors to buy:- Rural crafts, dress materials, farm gate fresh

agriculture products, processed foods are the few items which tourist can buy as

memento for remembrance.

Three important factors which contribute to the success of Agri-Tourism

1. Farmer: Majority of the cases, farmer is less educated, less exposed and innocent.

For farmer, any outsider is a guest and treated wholeheartedly without any commercial

motive. Treating guest is pleasure for them than pain. He entertains the guest while

entertaining himself in the process. He is not like an exploitative natured businessman

which itself facilitate a clean tourism atmosphere

2. Village : Village, which is located far from the city lacks urban facilities, but blessed

with natural resources. The investment is made by nature in the form of water bodies,

fields, forest, mountains, deserts and islands. Community is more homogenous and

treating a guest is part of their culture rather than a profession leading to natural

environment required for urban tourist.

3. Agriculture : Rich resources in agriculture namely land, water and plants are unique

from place to place bringing diversity and creating curiosity. Each field is unique which

adds to the attraction of tourists. The way of cultivation and the products are great

attraction to the urban population. Indigenous knowledge of rural people is a wealth,

which adds to novelty and curiosity of urban population.

Combination of farmer, village and agriculture create a wonderful situation which

provides unlimited satisfaction to the tourist specially from urban areas.


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Agri-tourism opportunities in India

Indian tourism industry is growing @10.1%. The World Tourism organization has

estimated that the tourism industry is growing at the rate of 4% a year and that by the

year 2010 there will be more than one billion tourist visit various parts of the world. But

Indian tourism industry is growing at the rate of 10% which is 2 times more that the

growth rate at global level. By introducing Agri-tourism concept, not only present growth

rate is sustained but also this value addition contributes to further growth.

India has entered amongest the top 10 tourist destinations list (Conde Nast Travellor

A leading European Travel Magazine). India is already established as one of the top

tourist destination in the world. Value addition by introducing novel products like Agri-tourism would only strengthen the competitiveness of Indian tourism industry in global

market.

India has diverse culture and geography which provide ample and unlimited scope

for the growth of this business. India has diverse Agro-climatic conditions, diverse

crops, people, culture, deserts, mountains, coastal systems and islands which provide

scope for promotion of all season, multi-location tourism products.

There is an increasing number of tourists preferring non-urban tourist spots (financial

express). Hence, there is scope for promotion of non-urban tourist spots in interior

villages by establishing Agri-tourism centres. But, adequate facilities and publicity are

must to promote such centres.

Government initiatives and policies in X five year plan, allocation has been increased

from 525 crore to 2900 crores. Increased financial allocation reaffirms the government

commitment. The increased financial allocation by six times could be used for capacity

building of service providers, creation of infrastructure and publicity.


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Market mix strategy : The proposed market mix strategy for the promotion of Agri-

tourism concept is as follows.

1. Product - The product in Agri-tourism is seeing, believing and ultimately experiencing.

This experience is unique and unmatched. The experience of climbing a tree , buffalo

riding in the pond and enjoying the sugarcane juice in the field itself are unique and

none of the million dollar tourist centres can create and offer such experiences.

2. Price

a). Customer segment pricing Domestic and foreign tourist could be priceddifferently as the capacity to pay is different. For a bullock cart riding, a foreign tourist

can pay one dollar where as a domestic tourist can pay only one fourth.

b). Location pricing Pricing in Agri-tourism depends upon location and importance.

Agri-tourism which just offers agriculture and rural life as attraction can charge normal

pricing. Where as Agri-tourism spots which are very close to established tourism

centres like temple towns, hill stations, around big citres can go far little bit higher

charging due to added value. As the pricing in established tourism places are high, it

works out to be cheaper for tourist to stay and enjoy in Agri-tourism spots.

c). Time pricing Agri-tourism units can charge higher in peak season i.e. November

to January and change less during rest of the period. During rural festivals or at the time

of important events Agri-tourism units can charge more, even though it is during off

season.

3. Place The place where tourists are accommodated also influence the pricing. It

the tourists are accommodated in villages itself with the farmer, the charging can be

less where as accommodation in farms cost high. Because, exclusively for tourist


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purpose infrastructure is created in farm whereas existing facilities are used in farmers

house in village.

4. Promotion Promotion of Agri-tourism and strategic alliance can takes place at

three levels.

(i) Alliance with airlines, tour operators and foreign embassies. This alliance brings

foreign tourists and upper middle class urban tourists into Agri-tourism fold. It may not

be possible for individual farmers to take up this task. Government can assist the Agri-

tourism units through promotion and co-ordination activities through central and state

tourism departments.

(ii) Alliance with hotel industry Large number of domestic tourists can be attractedthrough alliance with hotel industry. The hotel industry can be used to promote Agri-

tourism concept.

(iii) Promotion by Agri-tourism units Basically the promotion takes place through

mouth to mouth and local publicity given by Agri-tourism units. As the absorption

capacity of each unit is very less, direct marketing with little aggressive mode is enough

for a Agri-tourism units to survive. They can go for combined publicity on cost sharing

basis and also publics the Agri-tourism potential in other part of the country. But,

promotion of this group approach needs initial government interventions.

5. Policies Some of the policy initiatives of urban government would surely help

promotion of Agri-tourism . They are

(i) Building brand identity Incredible India.

(ii) Rs.60 crore budget for promoting brand

(iii) X five year plan budget increased from Rs. 525 to 2900 crores.

(iv) An allocation of Rs.50 lakhs per village for village tourism has been proposed.

(v) The states are encouraging private public partnership in tourism sector.

6. Positioning Ultimately Agri-tourism concept has to be positioned in the minds of


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tourists as Come, pluck a fruit, smell a flower, run in the fields, lie on the hay and

be lost in rural India.

Entertainment Agri-tourism : Agri-tourism involvement in agricultural operations create

joyful experience to the tourist. Agri-tourist involvement in milching, harvesting

competitions, tree climbing, edible adventure, bullock cart race, buffalo race in wet fields

namely Kambala in Karnataka, shooting a coconut target, fishing etc could generate

enormous joy atleast cost. There is enough scope to charge entry fee to farmers,

providing feed and accommodation on payment basis and charging the participation of

Agri-tourist during rural games would also generate income to the farmers.

Some successful entertainment farming enterprises and techniques in Agri-tourism -International experiences.

Agri-tourism is a viable income generating activities in many developed counties which

would provide lead to promote the same with modifications suiting to our conditions.

They are

Wineries with Friday happy hours.

Arts & Crafts Demonstrations.

Farm Store : Exhibition of farm equipments

Roadside Stand selling fresh farm products and craft items

Processing of farm products and sale

Demonstration of Agri-activities

Sheep Shearing.

Wool Processing.

Fee fishing / hunting.

Farm Vacations.

Bed and Breakfast

Farm Tours.

Horseback Riding.

Cross-country skiing.

Camping.


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Bad weather - like desert, snow fields, heavy rainfall also attract Agri-tourists

Picnic Grounds.

A shady spot for visitors to rest like a big baniyan tree

Educational Tours for school children, officers and progressive farmers

Farm Schools to teach a particular skill

Outdoor Schools which are mobile in nature teaching agriculture

Herb Walks.

Workshops on interesting, emerging agriculture topics

Festivals with wide publicity and sponsorship

Cooking Demos to satisfy housewives.

Pick-Your-own Pumpkin Patch.

Rent an apple tree. Moonlight activities.

Pageants.

Speakers who can attract Agro-tourist narrating Agricultural experiences.

Regional Themes like tribal coffee of Kerala, Andaman spices etc

Crop Art.

Pizza Farm.

Historical Recreations like highlighting a oldest farm etc.

Log Buildings.

Antique Villages.

Collection of old farm Machinery.

Miniature Village.

Farm Theme Playground for Children.

Fantasyland.

Gift Shop.

Antiques.

Crafts.

Crafts Demonstrations.

Food Sales.

Lunch Counter.


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Cold Drinks.

Restaurant.

Theme ( apple town, etc.)

The issues which needs attention for the promotion of Agri-tourism are :

1. Publicity It is difficult to provide publicity to a remote Agri-tourism unit. Hence,

either collectively such Agri-tourism operators can provide publicity or organizations like

ITDC, State tourism development corporations, NGOs, press and tour operators can

take up this responsibility

Information technology can play very important role in promotion of Agri-tourism. An

interactive website containing all details about Agri-tourism locations and a toll free 24hours help line can provide necessary information to Agri-tourists.

2. Transport Reaching the remote Agri-tourism units is the greatest challenge due to

lack of approach roads and poor transportation facilities in rural areas. Tele connectivity

is must which is yet to reach villages. Government should play important role in creating

these facilities namely roads, transport and telecommunication to rural areas specially

where Agri-tourism units are established on priority basis. This efforts could be effective

with private participation in partnership mode.

3. Accommodation Safe and clean accommodation is must in Agri-tourism. Urban

and foreign tourists look for these minimum facilities. Orienting Agri tour operators on

one hand and providing incentive to such efforts on other hand is necessary. Regular

clean water supply and neat toilets are important. At the same time, it is necessary to

limit modern facilities in which Agri-tourist is not interested.

3. Networking Networking public and private stakeholders at national and state level

to assist the Agri-tourism operator at remote place is necessary. This network can get

policy support, infrastructure and publicity to Agri-tourism units.


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NETWORK OF STAKEHOLDERS IN PROMOTION OF AGRI-TOURISM

5. Capacity building of farmers Farmer need to be oriented on maintenance of

facilities, hospitality and public relation which he is not aware.

6. Safety of tourists Agri-tourism units are located in remote areas which lacks

roads, medical facilities, telecommunication and sometimes threat from theft and wild

animals. Hence, support of local population is must besides facilities for emergency

medical care.

7. Private pubic partnership Agripreneurs, farmers organizations, co-operatives,

NGOs and agribusiness companies can take up these ventures with the help of farmersand government agencies tour operators. Transporters and hospitality industry would

also benefit in the process.


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The Pragya project on Community-Based Ecotourism in Arunachal Pradesh is

harnessing the benefits of tourism for the indigenous people in the districts of West

Kameng and Tawang, through rural tourism enterprises. It includes:

* survey of tourism assets & resources, and community-based circuit design & tourism

planning

* establishment of community institutions for tourism management & capacity building

* development of guidelines & standards, and tourism management training for

tourism entrepreneurs in the communities

* establishment of tourism facilities, ensuring improved distribution of revenues in rural

areas

* development of select tourism assets & sites and their maintenance

* development of promotional material & marketing channels, and disseminating

information

* establishment of community institutions for heritage conservation & integrated

community development

Circuit Design & Tourism Planning~ An in-depth field survey has been carried

out by Pragya members in the districts of West Kameng and Tawang, the only


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districts to have been opened to tourism in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The

various tourism assets and their compatible activities and allied industries have

been identified. Existing infrastructure & facilities have been mapped and gaps

identified. Host communities and the environmental &

cultural fabric have been assessed for their

capacity.A market survey has been carried out and

the potential demand estimated. A comprehensive

plan for the development of rural tourism in these two

districts has been prepared in collaboration with

potential stakeholders, including tour operators,

community members, culture associations, village heads (gaonburas), and the local

administration. Circuits have been designed and tourism products (tourist activities,

attractions, packages) are in the process of being developed. Detailed plans for

marketing & promotion, and development of tourism infrastructure are also being

prepared in collaboration with local tour operators. The strategies and plans for the

development of the allied industries of handicrafts, horticulture and agroproducts,

cultural events, etc., will follow.

Awareness & Orientation~

Pragya has worked intensively in the area, buildingawareness among the local population, working with them in assessing the

potential of the area and the communities for rural tourism enterprises, and in

developing the plans for establishing the community based ecotourism sector in

these two districts. Interactions are being organised between some target

customers and successful mountain tourism entrepreneurs in order to orient them

to the market requirements and service and hygiene standards expected.

Heritage Preservation Councils~ Pragya has been instrumental in building

awareness on the rich cultural & natural heritage of the region and the necessity of

preserving them before tourism alters them beyond repair. Following meetings with

the village community, Heritage Preservation Councils (HPC) are being set up in

the villages of Sangti (West Kameng) and Shernup (Tawang). Officebearers,


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including women, have been identified, and these bodies will be registered with the

District Administration, and their members trained.

Community Conservation Drives~ The inaugural activity of the Councils included

the adoption of one degraded patch of community-owned forest land per council,

for afforestation. Saplings of tree species, native to the region, were sourced from

the Forest Department and the planting was carried

out involving village elders, youth, women and a

highly enthusiatic bunch of school

children. Awareness is also being raised in the

community on the need for preserving and managing

the architectural heritage of the region expressed in

its ancient monuments. Dirang Dzong, an ancient fort-

cum-prison, for instance, has partially collapsed owing to neglect. Pragya has been

exploring financial and technical assistance towards its restoration.

Training for Tourism Stakeholders ~ In order to orient them towards proper visitor

and destination management as well as market requirements, local stakeholders of

tourism - tour operators, hotel owners and mountain guides, both existing andpotential, have been imparted training by the organisation in collaboration with

professional institutions/organisations of repute namely, Sita Academy, Radisson

Hotel and Mountaineering & Allied Sports Institute.

Technology Transfer, Guidelines & Standards Development~ A group of

tourism stakeholders from the region were constituted into a band of Eco-

Professionals with orientation and training in appropriate environmental

technologies (waste, water & energy) for sustainable tourism management. This

group was also facilitated to formulate a Code of Conduct in order to adhere to a

commonly agreed upon sets of dos and donts in managing tourism and hospitality

in the region, that will ensure positive tourist experience and environment & culture

preservation.


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Village Guesthouses & Wayside Amenities~ Towards basic tourism

infrastructure creation & upgradation of existing facilities, the construction of model

village guesthouses and wayside amenities has been planned. Site selection for the

former has been conducted in two villages. To be constructed on land donated by

the community, it will be built using traditional housing material and architectural

design furnished with appropriate waste-water-energy management facilities. On

similar lines, select wayside amenities on the tourist circuit are to be adopted and

spruced up to tourism standards.

Marketing & Sustainability~ Strategies and processes will be developed for

marketing and promotion of the tourist destinations and products. Brochures, CDs,

and a website will be developed for tourist information and market development.

The material for these is in the process of being compiled. Networks are also being

set up with marketing agencies in tourist catchment areas.

Conservation & Integrated Development~ Community institutions, networks and

processes need to be instituted to focus on market development, infrastructure

improvement, and social and ecological interventions. These will ensure that theeffort is sustainable and contributes to the rural community as a whole.


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REFERENCES

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4434

http://www.agritourismworld.com/article.php?article=46&sid=5522960

https://reader009.{domain}/reader009/html5/0520/5b01a1e1449b0/5b01a1f30336d.jpg

http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&biw=1280&bih=713&q=+rural+area++tourism+stakeholders++in+i

ndia&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=+rural+area++tourism+stakeholders++in+india&gs_rfai=&emsg=NCSR&noj=1

&ei=tWmoTPS1C8WecavgwMoN

Going Rural: Tourism Focuses on India's Hinterland - India Knowledge@Wharton

http://www.wttc.org/bin/pdf/original_pdf_file/2010_t4t_brochure_final_low_re.pdf

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