Chapter - X

EMPLOYMENT
GENERATION IN
VARIOUS SECTORS
THROUGH
PROMOTION OF ECO
AGRI – RURAL
TOURISM
 CHAPTER – X

EMPLOYMENT GENERATION IN
VARIOUS SECTORS THROUGH
PROMOTION OF ECO-AGRI-RURAL
TOURISM

10.1 TOURISM EMPLOYMENT IN INDIA

Tourism is an important factor in combating unemployment. It

represents a high percentage use of labour force per invested capital
where labour is plentiful and unemployed and provides a solution. It
also provides employment several times more than several types of
normal manufacturing industries.
Tourism is a labour intensive industry. The provision of tourists
services generates employment opportunities. It is highly labour
oriented industry. It increases the employment level by creating new
employment in the sector and by stimulating the creation of others,
such as construction, transport etc. It indirectly increases productivity
by other sectors, particularly of the agriculture sector as it draws
manpower resulting from hidden employment or seasonal under
employment. Tourism is widely considered to be a high user of labour
and its impact on job creation can be considered in areas with limited
potential for other economic activities.
Tourism is responsible for creation of employment outside the
tourist industry. The range of jobs created by tourism extends from
unskilled through to management tasks. The industry provides direct
and indirect employment to a large segment of population compared
to other industries. The beneficiaries of tourism are the people who
work in hotels, travel agencies, airlines, taxi drivers, flower sellers,
souvenir dealers, vegetable sellers, butchers and farmers etc. There are
a large number of specialist personnel required such as accountants,
housekeepers, cooks, waiters and entertainers who in turn need even
large numbers of semi skilled and unskilled workers such as front
house personnel, chambermaids, porters, kitchen staff, gardeners etc.
Direct jobs are generated as hotel entrepreneurs, workers at
resorts, guides in transport and handicraft industries. In addition to the
things the tourist buys, mostly handicraft produce, embroideries and
brocades, pottery and brassware, ornaments and artistic things etc.
have a much greater appeal to the tourists. The expenditure of those
directly employed in the tourists industry creates indirect jobs in
hotels. These jobs are also attributed to the tourist industry which
mainly reflects increased employment opportunities in the
construction industry resulting from an expansion of tourism. Those
indirectly employed in tourist industry create employment in other
sectors of the industry through demand for goods and services. To
sustain this additional demand, more people are employed in
production of those goods and services.
The cycle of increased income and employment continues at
declining rate, until it is exhausted. This phenomenon is due to
employment multiplier effects.
10.2 PROJECTED SHARE OF EMPLOYMENT
IN INDIA

8% 7.00%
7% 6.00%
Percentage Employment

6%
5%
4% 3.70%
3% 2.90%
2%
1%
0%
T&T Economy-2001 T&TEconomy-2011 T&T Industry-2001 T&T Industry-2011

Figure 10.1 : Projected Share of Employment

India’s travel and tourism economy accounts for 25 million jobs

or 6% of all employment. The department of tourism estimates of

travel and tourism industry jobs are 4.2 million or 2.9% of all

employment. The share of T & T economy is projected to rise to 7%

and the share of T & T industry is projected to rise to 3.7% through

2011.

The employment in T & T economy is projected to grow at

3.6% annually and the employment in the T & T industry is projected

to grow at 2.8% annually through 2011.

10.3 EMPLOYMENT GENERATION THROUGH
TOURISM IN INDIA
As per the 1985-1986 price index rate, investment of one
million rupees created more employment in the tourism, hotel and
restaurant sector than agriculture, manufacturing, mining, railways
and transport sector. A sample survey has shown the following
comparative figures of employment generation in the table in which
hotel and restaurant sector the highest generator of jobs of having 89.0
jobs.
Table 10.1 : Comparative Figures of Employment in Tourism and
Other Sectors
Sr. Different Sectors Jobs Created Rank in
No. Providing Job
1 Agriculture 44.7 2
2 Manufacturing 12.6 5
3 Mining & Quarrying 2.6 6
4 Railways 0.9 7
5 Other Transport 13.8 4
6 Tourism 47.5 3
7 Hotel & Restaurant 89.0 1

The ratio obviously increases if one takes into account ancillary

services associated with hotels and restaurants. As agriculture is
considered as the main occupation in India but its employment
generation capacity is too less than tourism and hotel and restaurant
sector.
10.4 DISTRIBUTION OF EMPLOYMENT IN
HOTEL AND RESTAURANT SECTOR IN
RURAL AND URBAN AREA

The census revealed that the total employment in the hotel and
restaurant sector during 1990 was 27,69325 persons of these,
10,82,749 were in Own Account Enterprises (OAE) and the remaining
were employed in other Establishment. The details are given in the
table.
Table 10.2 : Distribution of Employment in Hotel and Restaurant
Sector
Location OAE Estt Total
Rural 7,05,965(25.5) 4,42,477(16.0) 11,48,442(41.5)
Urban 3,76,784(13.6) 12,44,099(44.9) 16,20,883(58.5)
Total 10,82,749(39.1) 16,86,576(60.9) 27,69,325(100.0)

10.5 VIEW OF INDIAN ASSOCIATION OF

TOUR OPERATORS IN EMPLOYMENT
GENERATION IN RURAL TOURISM

Tourism is a major social phenomenon of the modern society

with enormous economic consequences. Its importance as an
instrument for economic development and employment generation
particularly in remote and backward areas and a positive step for
poverty elimination has been accepted the world over. According to
the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) about 808 million
tourists crises crossed globally in 2005 and spent about 682 billion.
The tourism scene in India is also very positive with 3.92 tourists
coming to India in 2005 (13.2% over 2004) and contributed Rs. 25172
crores in the foreign exchange earnings for the country.
 India also derived benefits from tourism inspite of the fact that
the level of tourist arrivals was not very high. For a country like India
the arrival figures should have been more to get the real economic
benefits of tourism.
But this growth in the tourism sector emerged as a very
important contribution to the national economy and contributed quite
a lot for employment generation in various tourism related activities.
At a rough estimate, total direct / indirect employment in the tourism
sector in India was about 41.8%. During 2003-2004 the indirect
employment multiplier in the case of tourism is fairly high and is
estimated as 2.36 which implies that direct employment of one person
in the tourism sector creates employment to 1.36 persons in other
sectors of the economy due to linkages with tourism. These linkages
are in the sectors like agriculture, horticulture, poultry, handicrafts,
construction, sports etc. Further these directly / indirectly employed
following the development of tourism may also need more goods and
services as a result of such employment than what they would have
demanded otherwise.
Additional demand will thus generate more employment and
further multiplier effect will come into force through successive chain
of transactions. In fact investment in tourism has the potential to
create more jobs compared to many other sectors and all the more at a
lower level of investment. The labour / capital ratio is very favorable
in tourism sector compared to many other industries with 47.5 jobs for
a million rupee investment as has been seen in the survey conducted
by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
 Tourism is now recognized for its contribution to create job for
large number of women. This empowerment of women which is being
focused by our successive governments are achieved through tourism
projects more positively. Both educated and uneducated women are
now involved in tourism related activities. Women are effective in
tourism business with their mental attitude for service and care and
upbringing since their childhood especially in hospitality industry.
Now in India, more women are in hotel, travel, airlines services,
handicrafts making, cultural and entertainment events etc. and are
now better integrated in the national developmental programme
through tourism activities. With this double income in the family, the
standard of living in the families has improved. Better education of
children, improved health care, better exposure through interaction
and thus a general improved scene in the women force which was
earlier very restricted to move beyond their house limit.
Tourism has made a big contribution to create jobs in remote
areas where industries are difficult to come and especially in rural
areas places like Ladakh, interior parts of Himachal Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh or North East region tourism have created employment
through the promotion of rural tourism in these areas. Now thousands
of domestic tourists and also international tourists are visiting places
which were never in their itinerary in these areas. This is just to
experience the pristine beauty of these places and to enjoy the ethnic
culture, cuisine, festivals etc. Government is giving special financial
incentives to all the State Governments to promote rural tourism. This
is being a bold step for poverty alleviation by involving local peoples
and tourism benefits filtering down from developed areas to under
developed areas.
As per estimates prepared by the World Travel and Tourism
Council (WTTC), it is estimated that tourism accounts for about 13%
of the total world exports. Further as per estimates, the Travel and
Tourism economy employment which is estimated at 207 million jobs
or 8.25% of global employment in 2001 is likely to grow to 260
million jobs or 9% of the global workforce by 2011.
For India also they have made very positive projections and
have recognized tourism as an instrument for generating large scale
employment opportunities. India offers enormous potential for
economically utilizing the natural attractions like its beaches,
mountains, rivers, wildlife, sanctuaries, waterfalls, landscapes which
are available in plenty in the country. This is further supplemented by
multitude of man made attraction like monuments, palaces, forts and
such beautiful constructions built through centuries. Now many of
them are standing as World Heritage Monuments.
Thus tourism contributes greatly to improving economy and
employment opportunities in this age of globalization.
10.6 INDIAN AGRICULTURE AND TOURISM
EMPLOYMENT SCENARIO

Global economic restructuring has created a climate in which

many local economies have to adjust, in order to maintain or enhance
their socio-economic viability. As Butler et al. (1998) note economic
and social forces operating at the global level are determining both the
nature and form of the rural landscape and how we value and use it.
These changes, coupled with new ideas and approaches to leisure and
recreation time are encouraging tourism development in rural areas at
an ever increasing pace.
Rural tourism development in areas not traditionally considered
tourism destinations per se occurs incrementally either as a result of
entrepreneurs developing businesses that attract visitors or as a result
of visitors discovering the area and thereby generating a demand for
tourism in a rural area is not simply a matter of matching tourist
demands with local product supply but a matter of evaluating local
suitability and acceptability.
India is known as “Land of Villages” more than 77 crore
farmers live in 5.5 lakhs of village (2001). Agriculture contributed
about 18.5% of the national income (2006-2007) as compared to a
high 50% in 1950. 85% of population of India still depends on
agriculture hence agriculture is not mere business, but is still the
“True Culture of India”.
Indian Agriculture Scenario
Today the Indian agriculture has to face tremendous
competition because of the driven global trends. To add to this the
agriculture crop growth is also weekend due to the uncertain climatic
conditions. There is no minimum support price guarantee also. These
changes have altered the form and practices of farming operation.
Farmers are looking beyond traditional farming to generate income
via various forms of direct on farm marketing and farm based non-
agriculture business.
Indian Tourism Industry
The Indian Tourism sector contributes 5.3 percent of India’s
GDP 2006-2007. The tourism industry shows that India had 367
million domestic tourists and 3.92 million international tourists. The
Forex earnings from the tourism industry were 25,000 crores. The
tourism industry created 38.8 million direct and indirect jobs. The
tourism trend shows as per the 10th five year plan Indian government
is willing to spend over Rs. 2900 crores in the next five years to boost
the growth in this sector. It is also seen that domestic tourism has
displayed greater buoyancy and resilience. The center has committed
to contribute 765 crores for the state tourism development.
Domestic Tourism Growth
India has achieved great prosperity in tourism as a product.
India being the home to many leading religions of the world has many
important pilgrim sites of different religious scattered throughout the
country. Besides the average Indian is also an avid sightseer. As per
the study report of FICCI A.F. Ferguson and Co. 2004 every
additional Rs. 10 lakhs invested can create 47.5 direct jobs and each
direct job can create 11 indirect jobs. It also stated that every 30
million additional tourist translate into Rs. 4300 crores in effect and
high revenue capital ratio.
Within last 15 years, domestic tourism has grown by more than
304 million from 63 million from 63 million in 1990 to 367 million in
2005 registering a growth of 20% p.a. (Source : Study conducted by
Agricultural Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC).
10.7 WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN TOURISM
• Women’s Participation : Tourism is the highest
employer of manpower in the country. As per the
estimates of Department of Tourism this sector currently
employs 4.2 million persons, 2.5 million directly and 1.7
million indirectly. The special feature of this employment
is that it employs a large number of women and young
persons and the network of hotels, restaurants and other
tourism services are widely spread in the rural areas of
the country. As per released estimate by the Department
of Tourism that every Rs. 10 lakhs of new investment in
hotels and restaurants creates 89 new jobs, compared to
12.6 for manufacturing and 44.6 for agriculture.
• Employment Generation for Women : As most of the
major tourist destinations in the state are located in the
rural and semi-urban places, there exists a great potential
to involve local mass participation and help them
generate more and more income from the tourism
activities. Women participation can greatly be
encouraged to many of these activities befitting the
nature and style of the women folk. Hospitality and
services industry in particular (Hotels, Restaurants, Call
Centers, Reservations, Tour Co-ordination, even Tour
Guides etc.) can encourage and provide ample
opportunity for women employment. IT and Training
 segments also have high potential so far as women
employment generation is concerned.
• Income Generation and Poverty Elimination Through
Tourism Development
10.8 WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN TOURISM
In the last few decades, the tourism industry has undergone a
period of explosive growth and as a labour intensive industry there
has consequently been a rapid rate of job creation and development.
The general picture suggests that the tourism industry seems to
be a particularly important sector for women (46% of the workforce
are women) as their percentages of employment in most countries are
higher than in the workforce in general (34-40 percent are women).
The number of women and their percentage in the workforce vary
greatly between countries from two percent up to over 80 percent.
Although there were few obvious regional trends, it would appear that
in those countries where tourism is a more mature industry, women
generally account for around 50 percent of the workforce.
The majority of this increase in female participation may be
driven by the growth in the industry for specific countries, such as
Puerto Rico, Chile and Turkey. For the industrially developed
countries, there has been little change in the actual participation of
women in the tourism industry.
The proportion of women’s to men’s working hours, available
for 39 countries is 89 percent which means that women work 89 hours
when men work 100 hours. The proportion of women’s to men wages
is 79 percent. At first glance, this looks like women are working less
hours than men and at the same time, receive even less pay. However,
we cannot be sure if this is due to women’s typical occupations being
paid less, women being significantly more in part time and / or
women being paid less for the same work (wage inequity). Due to
lack of more detailed gender desegregated information it is not
possible to pick the reasons for the observed disproportional relation
of women’s and men’s working hours and wages. The increase of
women’s involvement in the labour market has not been associated
with substantial change in the amount of hours women are expected to
spend on domestic duties; this is leading to much longer actual
working hours for women that is up to 70 – 90 hours per week.
Regarding the disproportionate relationship between women’s
and men’s working hours and their respective wages, there is a divide
between the developed world, which employs females on an average
weekly wage equivalent to 80 percent to 70 percent of male wages,
and the less developed world, where average female wages fall by
another 10 percent to 70 percent of male wages.
10.9 WOMEN’S OCCUPATIONS AND
POSITIONS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY

It seems very clear that the situation in the tourism industry

resembles the one in the labour markets in general. As in many other
sectors, there is a significant horizontal and vertical gender
segregation of the labour market in tourism. Horizontally, women and
men are placed in different occupations women are being employed as
waitresses, chamber maids, cleaners, travel agency sales persons,
flight attendants etc. whereas men are being employed as barmen,
gardeners, construction workers, drivers, pilots etc. Vertically the
typical gender pyramid is prevalent in the tourism industry lower
levels and occupations with few career development opportunities
being dominated by women and key managerial positions being
dominated by men.
In the broadly defined services sector in the Anker report (ILO,
1998) women and men are nearly equally involved in the workforce
(44 percent women), slightly more than in the global non agricultural
workforce in the 41 countries studied by Anker (about 40 percent) and
significantly more than in the overall global workforce (34 percent,
ILO data from 82 countries). Examining the occupations more
particularly relevant to the tourism sector one can see that more than
90 percent of people working in catering and lodging as waitresses,
bartenders, maids, babysitters, cleaners, housekeeping helpers,
launderers, dry cleaners and the like are women.
Vertical segregation of the labour market in the service and
administrative / management sectors effects the situation in the labour
markets in general. Women around the world have achieved higher
levels of education than ever before and they, today, represent more
than 40 percent of the global workforce.
Women are much more likely to be employed on a part time
basis than men are. Although this allows them to accommodate the
various responsibilities plus their work outside the home, it does have
significant drawbacks in many cases, lower pay per working hour,
fewer advancement opportunities, less formal training, less protection
from unemployment etc.
10.10 CREATING SELF EMPLOYMENT FOR
WOMEN IN TOURISM & MAXIMIZING
BENEFITS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Community based tourism initiatives, particularly of local

women’s groups and co-operatives, which can be an accessible and
suitable entry point for women into the paid workforce. They seem to
generate more long term motivation than initiatives from outside.
There are numerous examples where women and women’s groups
have started income generating activities on their own. These
activities help to create financial independence for local women and
challenge them to develop the necessary skills and improve their
education. Research has shown that financial independence and good
education lead to improved self esteem and more equitable
relationships in families and communities.
Many of the community based tourism initiatives depend upon
the conservation of natural resources, protected areas and national
parks around which they arose. Therefore, pro active protection of
natural resources in tourism destinations is needed to sustain the basis
of the livelihoods of community members being involved in tourism
activities. The same applies to the conservation of local cultures and
cultural heritage sites, which form the basis of many tourism
activities.
10.11 VARIOUS AVENUES OF EMPLOYMENT IN
ECO – AGRI - RURAL TOURISM FARM

Table 10.3 : Employment in Eco-Agri-Rural Farm

Sr. Types of Employees Total Employees

No. Particulars
Skilled Semiskilled Unskilled Male Female Total

01 Reception Counter
-- -- 02 02 04
02 Transportation
-- -- 10 -- 10
03 Accommodation --
-- 05 05 10
04 Cuisine --
-- 05 05 10
05 Horticulture Operation -- -- -- -- -- --
a) Ploughing -- --
05 -- 05
b) Sowing & Plantation --
-- 02 03 05
c) Weeding -- --
-- 20 20
d) Fertilizer Application --
-- -- 10 10
e) Irrigation Practices
-- -- 05 -- 05
f) Pesticide Spraying
-- -- 05 -- 05
g) Collection of Fruits -- --
-- 10 10
h) Collection of Flowers -- --
-- 05 05
i) Vegetable Collection -- --
-- 05 05
j) Crop Harvesting -- --
05 -- 05
06 Dairy Supervisor
-- -- 01 -- 01
a) Milk Man --
-- 05 -- 05
07 Poultry Farm
-- -- 05 05 10
08 Stall Fed Goat Farm
-- -- 02 -- 02
09 Fishery Farm
-- -- 05 -- 05
10 Medicinal Plantation
-- -- 05 -- 05
11 Apiculture Bee hive
-- -- 02 05 07
12 Sericulture Farm
-- -- 05 05 10
13 Nursery
-- -- 02 10 12
14 Adventure Sports
-- -- 02 02 04
15 Farm Guide
-- -- 01 01 02
16 Preservative Products
-- -- 02 10 12
17 Sale of Farm Products
-- -- 02 -- 02
18 Folk Artists
-- -- 05 10 15
19 Doctor
-- -- 01 -- 01
20 Security Guards --
-- 02 -- 02
Total Number of Employees in the Farm :- 91 113 204
10.12 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN
PUBLIC SECTOR ENTERPRISES IN RURAL
AREA

After conducting primary survey it is observed that following

number of rural people are employed in public sector enterprises
which includes ;
01 State Archaeological Department
02 Department of Forest and Environment
03 District Rural Development Authority
04 Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation
05 Public Works Department
06 State Electricity and Water Supply
07 State Agriculture Development
08 Zilla Parishad

Table 10.4 : Archaeological Survey of India

Sr. No. Employee Number

01 Manager 01
02 Clerical Staff 01
03 Chemical Staff 08
04 Gardners 03
05 Attendants 25
Total :- 38
Table 10.5 : Maharashtra Tourism Development
Corporation

Sr. No. Employee Number

01 Manager 01
02 Receptionist 01
03 Room Attendant 15
04 Cook 03
05 Waiters 10
06 Servants 05
07 Sweeper 02
08 Gardner’s 01
09 Eco – Friendly Buses --
a) Depot Manager 01
b) Booking Clerk 02
c) Drivers 05
d) Cleaners 03
10 Attendants for Parking Plaza 05
Total :- 54

Table 10.6 : Forest Department

Sr. No. Employee Number

01 Range Forest Officer 01
02 Assistant Planting Officer 03
03 Supervisor 03
04 Forest Guards 05
05 Attendants 02
06 Servants 05
Total :- 19
Table 10.7 : Public Works Department

Sr. No. Employee Number

01 Deputy Engineer 01
02 Junior Engineer 02
03 Civil Draftsman 01
04 Supervisor 01
05 Work Assistant 05
06 Maintenance Worker 05
Total :- 15

Table 10.8 : State Electricity Department

Sr. No. Employee Number

01 Deputy Engineer 01
02 Junior Engineer 03
03 Assistant Engineer 02
04 Wireman / Electrician 05
Total :- 11

Table 10.9 : Zilla Parishad

Sr. No. Employee Number

01 Block Development Officer 01
02 Gram Sevak 02
03 Record Keeper 02
04 Sevak 01
Total :- 06
Table 10.10 : Revenue Department

Sr. No. Employee Number

01 Nayab Tahsildar 01
02 Talathi 01
03 Kotwal 02
Total :- 04

Table 10.11 : Agriculture Department

Sr. No. Employee Number

01 Agricultural Officer 01
02 Junior Agricultural Officer 01
03 Supervisor 01
04 Assistant 03
05 Sevak 01
Total :- 07

Table 10.12 : District Rural Development Agency

Sr. No. Employee Number

01 Supervisor 01
02 Assistant 02
03 Sevak 01
Total :- 04
 It is obvious from above data there are tremendous employment
opportunities for rural peoples, local farmers looking for
diversification through rural tourism and also for women and
disadvantaged groups or people who are living below poverty line.
These employment opportunities exist through eco tourism, agri
farm tourism also through public sector and private sector enterprises.
10.13 EMPLOYMENT GENERATION AND
INCOME GENERATION IN AURANGABAD
SITES BY ECO-AGRI-RURAL TOURISM

Introduction
Rural tourism sites create awareness about what the rural areas
have to offer. Tourism supports direct or indirect employment
opportunities in rural areas without adversely affecting agricultural
workforce. Overall, its contribution to rural economy is considered to
be substantial. It has helped in reducing the out migration by
providing employment opportunities in the villages by restructuring
rural entrepreneurial system.
It has been observed that rural tourism has become a source of
income for rural communities. As we know that majority of activities
in the rural tourism do not require advanced training local residents
with minimum training on skill development are capable of providing
services like food serving etc. Since tourism is accepted as a
legitimate form of economic development, it serves as a vehicle for
other types of business development opportunities for local
communities.
 The overall goal of the rural tourism is to create a community
managed rural tourism model by strengthening sustainable livelihoods
of the local communities for the preservation and development of
local heritage of the villages. Due to the government initiative to
promote rural tourism a number of avenues for the employment of
local population have opened up. The direct and indirect sources of
income are enumerated below in following ways.
Figure 10.2 : Agri – Rural Tourism Avenues for Employment
01 Involvement of Agriculture Travel Agents, Tour Operators
to promote the eco – agri – rural tourism destination
Agri travel agents and tour operators play a vital role in
promoting the eco – agri – rural tourism destinations among the
visitor. These tour operators are private players. The offer different
types of packages to the tourist which varies across sites. The visitors
are taken to various places of attraction within surrounding of the
rural tourism sites. These agri tour operators create awareness among
them about the places of interests.
Young are getting employment opportunities through these agri
tour operators.
02 Village Internal Road Transportation
Rural entrepreneurs arrange the different modes of
transportation such as Bullock Cart rides, horse car rides, tractor rides
for local sightseeing, temples, historical monuments and buildings.
The rural entrepreneurs get income and revenue through these
mode of road transport.
03 Rural Accommodation
It is a new business opportunities in rural area. Due to
increasing congestion, pollution, pressures and tension of urban cities,
people enjoy rural accommodation in pollution free natural
surroundings.
The average price for one night accommodation including the
breakfast in a rural house is affordable to even budget tourist having
lower income. Due to lower investments, the rural community is
benefited and gets employment through rural accommodation.
04 Tour Guides
The employment of local youths as tour guides has given
gainful employment to a large number of unemployment in the
village. Since these youths are well acquainted with local
surroundings it is a worth experience for tourists who enjoy sight of
domes, temples, historical buildings and monuments, farms, forts,
working of grampanchayat, bhajan mandal, youth clubs.
05 Artists
Eco – agri – rural tourism provides ideal platforms for local
artists such as traditional dancers, performers, musicians, dholki
players, harmonium players, tal and mridinga performers, flute
players, tribal dancers, musicians, rural folklore, harvesting dance and
songs, mythological plays and drama, actors with music entertainment
and dances to exhibit their talent and get employment.
06 Craftsman
Eco – Agri – Rural Tourism provides ideal platform for local
craftsman to exhibit and sell their indigenous products which
showcase culture, traditions and heritage to the tourists. Local
craftsman such as weavers, potters, earthenware makers, wood
carving, metal statue makers, leather jogis, chappals, painters,
embroidery makers, bamboo basket makers, various handicraftsman,
handloom makers, produce handicrafts and handlooms. All these
products produced by craftsman are eco-friendly. Eco – agri – rural
tourism helps all craftsman sustain their livelihood.
07 Entertainment
Rural folklore, music, cultural activities provide unique
entertainment for the urban tourists. Entertainment activities such as
puppet shows, street theater and entertainment with animals like i)
Snake Charmers ii) Monkey Tricks, Dogs iii) Parrot Astrologers,
Cock Fight, Goat Fight and iv) Songs of Vasudeo.
From all entertainment activities above traditional rural
entertainers get employment.
08 Rural Cuisine
Mouthwatering local, rural dishes are offered to the tourists,
who relish them. Delicious dishes like Amba Poli, Zunka Bhakar,
Thecha, Vanga Bharit different types of chatnis, papad, pickles etc.
Eco – agri – rural tourism helps promoting rural cuisine and which
provide large scale employment to the rural women’s, men’s in the
village.
09 Rural Adventure Sports
Rural sports such as mountain trekking, surparambya,
swimming in well, canal, river, jungle safari, fishing, boating. Above
sports provide employment to local youth as coach trainers.
10 Fairs and Festivals
India is a country known for its various fairs and festivals. The
handicrafts and rural art products have been marketed by participation
in various exhibitions, known as fairs and mela’s, local fairs and
festivals like Devi Mahotsavas, dassera, ganesh festival attract lot of
visitors.
 The customers obtains the products at fairs rate and since there
are no middle man involved, artisans get more profits. Sales of rural
products created out of our cultural heritage receive a great boost.
This also sustains the livelihood of our traditional artisans and
weavers.
11 Role of Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) in Employment in
Eco - Agri – Rural Tourism
One of the key stakeholders of the agri rural tourism is the
members of the Panchayati Raj Institution, the positive social impacts
occur only when strong leadership and repeated and new training
opportunities are offered. These PRI play a vital role in implementing
government schemes. They also ensure that there is proper
participation of all and more ownership taken by the community.
Through participation, contribution and monitoring by villagers rural
economy is improved by providing employment for villagers.
12 Employment Opportunities to Women
One of the most important aspects of Agri – Rural Tourism is
that is recognizes the role of women in civil society. Empowering the
rural women and providing them with employment opportunities, so
that they can become productive citizens of the global economy is the
primary aim of rural tourism. Rural tourism offers various
opportunities for independent income generation for women. Women
get employment opportunities through training on cuisine preparation,
crafts forms, hospitality management, institution building, self help
group. Bachat gat also provide credit facilities. Activities such as
papad, pickle making, chalk production, stationary preparation, post
cards, shopping bags, imitation jewelery, mehandi, embroidery,
designing, provide large scale employment to rural women.
13 Employment as Waste Disposers
Protections of environment is the primary aim of eco – agri –
rural tourism in villages. Primary aim of the villagers towards the
cleanliness, hygiene and sensitiveness towards environment. Villagers
are employed as waste disposers, sweepers to collect paper bags, cloth
bags, non degradable litter such as empty bottles, tins, plastic bags for
which they are paid regular monthly wages.
14 Employment for Rural Vendors
Rural tourism has a multiplier effect on rural economy. Apart
from tourism products, employment opportunities for common people
are created as follows;
i) Large number of tea stalls
ii) Small restaurants
iii) Pan shops
iv) Florist, garland makers
v) STD, PCO booths
vi) Internet Café
vii) Paper stall
viii) Cold drink, juices
15 Employment through Hardware Structure
As local resources (labour and material) have been used to
construct the hardware structure like toilet, parking lot under the rural
tourism sites, a number of people get employment. Many of them are
employed to maintain the facilities and utilities being created in the
villages like sweepers, receptionists, watchmen, cook etc.
16 Employment through Selling of Agricultural Products
Villagers get various employment benefits through selling of
agricultural products like sale of food grains, pulses, oilseeds, fibers,
vegetables, fruits, farm fresh vegetables and animal by products
sericulture products, apiculture products, milk products, fruit
preservative products, chatnis, pickles, papad, eggs, poultry products.
Since villagers are selling these products without any middle men or
mediators, so that they can get direct profit through selling of these
products.
Eco – agri – rural tourism supports direct or indirect
employment opportunities in rural areas without adversely affecting
agriculture workforce. There are tremendous employment
opportunities for skilled, unskilled rural people, local farmers, women,
disadvantaged groups of rural areas and people who are living below
poverty line. It has been observed that eco – agri – rural tourism has
become a source of income for rural communities and reduces
migration and assists in it restructuring rural entrepreneurial system.
Hence some farmers from Aurangabad sites have already
started eco – agri – rural tourism and consequently some farmers local
entrepreneurs are willing to start eco – agri – rural tourism in rest of
Maharashtra and out of Maharashtra.
But as eco agri rural tourism gains momentum it is important
that development should be planned. If planned development is not
conducted there are ecological imbalances. Hence sustainable growth
of rural tourism is important.
REFERENCES
01. A. K. Raina, R. C. Lodha : Fundamental of Tourism System,
Kanishka Publishers and Distributors, 2004.
02. Sampatkumar Swain : Human Resource Development, Abhijeet
Publications, pg. 109, Delhi, 2006.
03. Ibid, pg. 141, 145.
04. Prof. O. P. Kandari, Ashish Chandra : Tourism Strategies for
rural development, pg. 4, Shri Publication and Distributors,
2004.
05. Dr. Anil Sharma : Tourism Management, pg. 323, Max Ford
Book Publications, New Delhi.
06. Mot. McDonald : Employment Generation, pg. 79, Ministry of
Tourism.
07. Primary data.
08. The Hindu : Survey of Indian Agriculture, 2005-2006.
09. Agricultural University’s diary