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Rural tourism is a chance for travellers to immerse themselves in the beauty of the countryside and revel in the slowness of life, which was especially realised during the pandemic. The consumer trend in slow-living is ever-growing as visible on social media platforms like YouTube. According to media reports, the views of videos with ‘slow living’ in the title have seen an at least four times increase. People are hooked on videos related to slow living, and listening to atmospheric music, mindful and serene living.
With immense potential to boost the local economy, rural tourism is getting a big push from international organisations like the United Nations and countries worldwide. As part of the agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) came up with the “Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism” initiative, introduced in 2021, seeking to transform tourism into a catalyst for rural prosperity and well-being. For that, it aims to not just value and preserve rural villages, their landscapes, cultural diversity, and knowledge systems, but also advance innovative strategies aligned with the SDGs.
UN push for village tourism
To make tourism a positive force for transformation, rural development and community wellbeing, UN Tourism launched the ‘Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism’ initiative. Even as winners of this year are awaited, in 2023, among several countries of the world, Dhordo, a small village located in the Kutch district of Gujarat was declared the best tourism village by UNTWO. It was featured among 54 villages from different parts of the world, including four from China. Under this initiative, the UN recognises outstanding rural tourism destinations with accredited cultural and natural assets, a commitment to preserving community-based values, and to innovation and sustainability across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Second, under its upgrade programme, it supports villages on their journey to meet recognition criteria, helping in areas identified as gaps during evaluation and builds village network to create a space for exchanging experiences, good practices, learning, and opportunities among its members. This is open to contributions of experts, and public and private sector engagement in the promotion of tourism as a driver for rural development. According to the UN, currently, at least 190 villages are part of this network.
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Popular worldwide
Our neighbour China has been quite seriously promoting rural tourism. According to a report in People’s Daily Online, its culture and tourism ministry said a total of 1,597 national-level tourism-focused villages and towns have been established in the country, with over 60,000 administrative villages engaging in rural tourism operations. For instance, its Huangling village known as a village ‘hanging’ on the cliffs has gained worldwide fame for its unique tradition of drying colourful crops on rooftops of Hui-style buildings.
Recently, UN Tourism and the TUI Care Foundation of Africa launched ‘Colourful Cultures’ grant to empower local artists and artisans, particularly women and youth, in rural tourism destinations across selected African countries. In Europe, Moldova is known as one of the poorest countries and rural tourism is now being touted as the potential to move the needle of Moldova’s economic growth with its winemaking destinations and attractions, fortresses, monasteries, scenic landscapes, and traditional villages. UN Tourism has come into partnership with the European Committee of the Regions for a comprehensive study of the significant impact and potential of tourism in fostering socio-economic development in rural areas and found out that despite global challenges (pandemic and the ongoing geopolitical crisis), rural tourism continued to witness a surge in popularity, particularly among local travellers.
India’s initiatives
The government has recognised the potential that rural tourism holds and has launched various initiatives to promote it, such as the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. It was launched in 2014-15 and aims to provide financial assistance to state governments and Union territories for development of tourism infrastructure. In Budget 2024, the government allocated more than double for integrated development of tourist circuits (also known as Swadesh Darshan) to Rs 1,750 crore for the financial year 2024-25.
In February last year, the central nodal agency — rural tourism and rural homestays, the coordinating body amongst the Centre, states, and other stakeholders, identified six niche experiences in more than 134 villages for tourists wanting to visit rural India. For example, Mattur village in Karnataka where residents speak only Sanskrit; Maachli in Maharashtra, an agrarian homestay surrounded by coconut, betel, and banana plantations; and Bishnoi village in Rajasthan home to endangered Great Indian Bustard are some of the destinations where tourists can immerse themselves in the rural tourism experience with a push from the government. Recently, the ministry of tourism announced winners of the ‘best tourism villages competition 2024’, to promote tourism in villages. Introduced last year, 36 villages out of 991 have been declared winners across categories such as adventure tourism, agri tourism, community-based, craft, heritage, responsible tourism, spiritual & wellness, and vibrant village. Some of them are Kadalundi (Kerala), Tar village (Ladakh) and Sabarvani (Madhya Pradesh) for responsible tourism, and Chitrakote (Chhattisgarh), Minicoy Island (Lakshadweep) and Sialsuk (Mizoram) for community-based tourism.
Initiatives are taken at the state government level as well. UP, for instance, is looking to partner with private hospitality players in the agri-tourism sector to boost the rural economy and create local jobs, identifying 229 agri-tourism villages.
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