DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL TOURISM IN INDIA

Ms.Ragini.B, Asst.Professor
Dept.of Tourism, Surana College,Bangalore
&
Mr.Pratham Jain, I Year B.A (HTJ)
Surana College,Bangalore

The desire to sit in the lap of nature, to breathe freely, to witness the lives of people not
living in the mainstream and developed cities, to understand the true culture of a place one needs
to go to the rural areas. These areas remain untouched from the hustle and bustle of the cities and
provide a completely different experience. Every village has its own stories, beliefs, culture,
festivals, etc and therefore no two villages will ever give the exact same experience.

In this dynamic world, the tourism industry has also been evolving throughout the years
and coming up with different forms of tourism. Rural tourism can be said to be a recent trend
which is increasingly gaining popularity especially in the third world countries as they mark a
striking difference between their cities and rural areas. Rural tourism focuses on actively
participating in a rural lifestyle. The aim may be cultural or recreational in nature. What is
important is the role it can play in contributing to the economy of the region and in elevating it to
an international level. That, however, depends on how the facilities and attractions are managed
and developed locally in order to give a satisfying experience to the visitor.

WHAT IT CAN OFFER?

Rural tourism need not necessarily mean only enjoying the nature and calm environment
of the region. Additionally, it can also inculcate aspects of

i) Heritage and culture like monuments, temples, etc

ii) Anthropology: it gives a clear insight into the lives of tribal communities.

iii) Art and crafts typical to that region. It also allows visitors to learn how the rural products are
made which interests many foreigners.
iv) Adventure- rural areas are the perfect site for enjoying adventure activities like trekking,
paragliding, river-rafting, etc.

v) Agriculture- many foreigners are fascinated by the idea of working in fields and experiencing
the life of farmers.

IMPORTANCE OF RURAL TOURISM

Rural tourism, if properly planned, can contribute to both the economy of the region that
includes the increase in standard of living of the locals and the rural economy as well as in
conserving and promoting the culture, art and lifestyle of the region. Thus, the importance is not
to be understood only in terms of numbers. If managed properly, the destination can get a global
recognition in the context of tourism. Especially in the case of countries like India which have
wide cultural and traditional varieties, rural tourism can give a boost to the tourism sector and
generate employment for the locals. Therefore, it is important for the local communities and the
tourism sector, both government and private, to recognize potential destinations and develop
them into destinations that can be offered to international tourists as well.

RURAL TOURISM TODAY

Western countries have taken the lead in introducing the concept of rural tourism to the
world. Countries that are in the forefront of rural tourism include Australia, New Zealand,
Holland, UK, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Canada and the United
States. However, in India, it is still in its initial years and requires a lot of intellectual thought and
proper management.

The government, of late, has realized what the rural India can offer to the world. A
national tourism policy was introduced in 2002, with rural tourism identified as a focus area to
generate employment and promote sustainable livelihoods. As a part of the National Tourism
Policy 2002, the Ministry of Tourism developed and promoted rural tourism sites which have
core competency in art, craft, culture, heritage, handloom, etc. According to the 2002 policy,
special thrust would be imparted to rural tourism and tourism in small settlements, where sizable
assets of our culture and natural wealth exist. The Union ministry of tourism in collaboration
with United Nations Development Programme launched the Endogenous Tourism Project in the
year 2004, linked to the rural tourism scheme of the government. The UNDP has committed $
2.5 million for the project. UNDP will help in areas of capacity building, involvement of NGOs,
local communities and artisans forge strong community-private and public sector partnerships.
The government has decided to develop necessary infrastructure for facilitating rural tourism.

DEVELOPMENT OF AN AREA AS A RURAL TOURISM DESTINATION

Majority of area in India falls under rural area. This gives prospects of promoting India as
one having many rural tourist destinations. However, not all this area can be developed into rural
tourism destinations. There is a need for a clearly defined strategy to figure out potential
locations and develop them into rural tourist destinations. Following conditions must be met in
order to develop an area as a rural tourist spot:

i) Attractions: The area needs to have certain attractions to satisfy the tourist’s desire to see
new places. It can be either natural or cultural or architectural or religious. The area around a
heritage site can easily be promoted.

ii) Infrastructure- There must be sufficient infrastructure to develop facilities as

accommodation and hygiene.

iii) Basic amenities: The area must have basic amenities such as clean water and hygiene.
However, it must be kept in mind that too many facilities especially those pertaining to urban
lifestyle should not be provided else they would beat the purpose of rural tourism.

iv) Accessibility- For any area to become a tourist destination it must be well connected and
accessible. It should be well connected from airport, railway stations, etc. However, in the case
of rural tourism, it must be kept in mind that tourists might like to use the indigenous mode of
transport like bullock-carts, hand-pulled rickshaws, etc. A study must be conducted as to whether
the tourists like these modes or prefer more comfortable modes for transport. These give a
traditional experience but at the same time can be tiresome for many travelers.
v) Carrying capacity of the destination- These areas must not be very crowded as tourists
opt for rural tourism to run away to calm and slow-paced places.

vi) Behavior of local people- In order to give the best experience, it is necessary that the
locals must be cordial and welcoming and should have a positive attitude towards tourists rather
than a resistant attitude. It adds to the experience of the tourists.

vii) Safety, law and order situation- It is very important that the location is under the control
of law and order, is safe and is not prone to natural disasters, riots or violence.

If a location fulfils all these criteria it becomes easy to promote it and can generate
massive tourist influx. Also, managing the location becomes easy.

HURDLES TO DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL TOURISM IN INDIA

“The soul of India lies in its villages” – Mahatma Gandhi

The villages of India are its cultural centres. If one really wants to understand and
compare the variety of culture in India, he must visit its villages. They provide an insight into its
rich cultural past. Thus, India has substantial potential to come up with rural tourism
destinations. However, unfortunately, not all villages of India provide a safe and sound
environment for tourism activities. Many villages fall under the Maoist and Naxalite areas thus
making them unsuitable for tourism.

Also, states that have abundance of natural beauty and can provide out of the world rural
experiences like Jammu and Kashmir and the states of north-east India are prone to violence. In
certain states, conservative religious outfits make it comparatively risky for tourists to have a
pleasant experience. It must be kept in mind that in India, tourists for rural tourism will be more
of foreigners (especially of western countries) compared to natives. They might unknowingly
hurt the religious and cultural sentiments of certain people which will in turn make the host
population resistant to tourists.

Language is one of the hindrances in rural tourism. India has 16 recognized languages
and 850 dialects. The dialect changes every 50 Km radius. Though Hindi is India’s official
language, in many parts of India people do not understand it. This becomes a major hurdle in
getting benefits from the rural tourism. If the villagers develop their ability to speak Hindi and
English they can interact with the tourists easily and this will certainly benefit both locals and
tourists. Thus, there is a need to evaluate all the aspects and then decide on a location to turn it
into a rural tourism spot.

MANAGING THE RURAL TOURISM DESTINATION

Once the destination is finalized, a detailed survey of the status of the location needs to
be conducted to analyse the quantity and quality of tourism activities and assets and human
resource existing in the area and the potential capacities. The next step would be to chalk out the
historic importance, craft, culture, art forms, cuisine, natural beauty etc of the area to be put into
a package.

Then, the host population and police officials need to be informed about the plans. The
entire village community has to be properly sensitized and prepared to share their life with
travelers. The whole community must be involved and their roles must be chalked out. Rural
tourism must take forward the social agenda and empower women and backward sections that
are traditionally deprived having poor access to resources.Training should be provided to host
population in language and hospitality. This shall be the most important step as it will decide
how the tourists would promote it in terms of hospitality by word of mouth. This would be a long
and continuing process.

The next step would be to develop the infrastructure in terms of transport,

accommodation, hygiene and hospital. The surroundings of the village need to be improved like
fencing, lighting, road signs (in English along with the local language) ATMs, etc. All these need
to be developed keeping in mind that they should pertain to a rural site. If many facilities are
provided then the village loses its essence and turns into a city. Only basic facilities should be
developed.

The role of tourist information centers becomes more crucial here. There must be at least
two local guides and two translators in case a need arises.
 Markets dedicated to local art and crafts and local activities like puppet dance would add
to the beauty and experience of the tourists making its promotion easier. It will give a different
experience to them which they will not find anywhere else.

Travel agencies and tour operators can help in developing and promoting these areas.
However, their offices should be limited in number else it would move towards becoming a city
and would thus see a decrease in tourist influx. The best example to illustrate this hypothesis
would be Ooty in Tamil Nadu. Once a tourist hub, Ooty today witnesses fewer tourists as
compared to the past owing to its commercialization. Thus, the degree of providing services and
of promotion should be limited.

PROMOTION- Tourists need to know about a tourist product in order to visit it. This makes
promotion inevitable. However, one needs to understand that a rural destination is very different
from all other destinations. It gives an entirely different experience. In a way, it takes the tourist
back in time. Thus, while promoting a rural destination, it must be kept in mind that it is an
underdeveloped or developing region. Then the question arises “How a rural destination should
be promoted?” In my view, the promotion of such destinations should only be done online. All
the required information should be made available in websites dedicated to these destinations.
Bookings should also be done online. In the beginning, it should be promoted heavily specially
during local festivals and events. Gradually, the promotion should depend on word of the mouth
and online reviews. It should always be kept in mind that rural tourism must uplift the host
population but tourism activities should not turn these destinations into cities otherwise they
would lose their charm.

RURAL TOURIST DESTINATIONS AND PROSPECTS IN INDIA

As promised in 2002-2007 10th Five Year Plan, many rural tourism destinations have
been developed and yet many are to be discovered. The best examples of the ones developed by
the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India are Hodka village in Gujarat and Naggar village
in Himachal Pradesh. Hodka is one of the project’s success stories. 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. 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 cattle fair. All these activities have had to be
organized, packaged and sold. Many have been set up in the state of Andhra Pradesh also.

On the other hand is Mawlynnong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya. 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 foster 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. India has
abundance of villages that can be converted into rural tourism destinations.

CONCLUSION

The development of modern tourism has passed various stages. Tourists have been
experimenting with new forms of tourism. The turn of this century saw the emergence of rural
tourism in Western countries. The third world countries must now walk on the same lines and
utilize optimally their resources in order to improve their economy and standard of living of their
people. Also, it would contribute in sustaining and promoting their culture and traditions.
However, the management and development of these destinations can be a difficult task. The
government as well as the private organizations and the local communities must join hands
towards making the country a rural tourism hub.
REFERENCES

-Specific Features of Rural Tourism Destinations Management by Snežana ŠTETIĆ, University

of Novi Sad, PMF, College of Tourism, Belgrade, SERBIA

-Rural tourism – Strategy for Redefining Tourism in India by Bandaru Srinivasa Rao and
Nannapaneni Chandra Sekhara Rao
-Product Development and Management in Rural Tourism by Prof. A. Ramakumar and Prof. Dr.
Rajashree Shinde