Mining tourism now in India: Underground treasures are ready to be rediscovered, not for extraction, but for experience – Travel & Tourism News

Recently, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren launched the country’s first mining tourism initiative. While the state government inked a pact with Coal India arm Central Coalfields (CCL), the move comes after Soren recently visited the Gava Museum of Mines in Barcelona to see ancient mining techniques and relics from the Neolithic era. 

The first phase of the project will begin soon with a pilot tour to the North Urimari (Birsa) open-cast coal mine located in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand, with two tour routes for visitors. Each tour will be organised twice a week for a group of 10 to 20 people per group. What can one expect? It gives a closer look at modern mining operations and introduces visitors to nearby cultural and natural landmarks.

From Resource Extraction to Experiential Learning

Since Jharkhand is endowed with rich mineral resources and is home to about 40% of the country’s total minerals, the state aims to showcase its rich mineral heritage through such guided tours and cultural experiences. This initiative will not only diversify tourism, but also educate the public about mining practices and local history, promote alternative tourism, create employment opportunities and boost the economy.

So what goes behind mining tourism? It involves visiting active or disused mining sites for educational, recreational, or heritage purposes, offering insights into mining history, technology, and culture. These sites often provide guided tours, underground experiences, museums, interactive displays, and sometimes even adventure activities like zip-lining, rappelling, and cave exploration. The idea is to offer insights into the historical, geological, technological, and cultural aspects of mining.

Global Models, Local Potential

Mining tourism is not new to the world. Several countries have developed mining tourism as a significant attraction. Popular destinations include the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland, the Kalgoorlie Super Pit in Australia, and various sites in Germany, France, and the UK where mining tourism is increasingly recognised as a way to revitalise former mining communities and preserve industrial heritage. For instance, Zollverein Coal Mine, Essen in Germany is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also called the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, known as the ‘most beautiful coal mine in the world,’ and has been transformed into a cultural space with museums, art exhibitions, and architectural tours.

Chuquicamata Copper Mine in Chile is a massive open-pit copper mine in northern Chile that offers guided tours that showcase one of the world’s largest producers of copper and tell the story of mining towns and displaced communities. Sovereign Hill, Ballarat in Australia, is a recreated 1850s gold mining town in Victoria that offers an immersive experience with gold panning, underground mine tours, and actors in period costumes narrating tales of the gold rush era.

Kimberley Mine, also called the Big Hole in South Africa, was once the site of a diamond rush. Today it offers a museum, viewing platform, and replica old town to tell the story of South Africa’s diamond history. Bisbee in Arizona was formerly a thriving copper town, and now draws tourists with its preserved Victorian architecture, underground Queen Mine tours, and thriving arts scene.

From ancient coal pits and copper mines to operational quarries and gold towns, this form of tourism is finding traction across the globe, and India, with its rich mining legacy, is slowly tapping into its potential.

India with its vast reserves of coal, iron ore, bauxite, and more, has been slow to leverage mining heritage for tourism. The Karnataka government has integrated mining tourism into its official tourism policy for 2024-29, aiming to attract Rs 1,300 crore in private investment. The policy promotes developing abandoned mining areas, offering incentives and thematic attractions like interactive museums and adventure trails near Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) and Bellary sites.

KGF in Karnataka was once one of the deepest and richest gold mines in the world. Today, KGF has become a place of cinematic and historical interest for its association with the film KGF: Chapter 1, which brought renewed attention to the region. However, efforts are being made to develop the site into a tourist destination, preserving colonial-era structures and mining equipment.

On the other hand, Jharia Coalfields, Jharkhand is operational and facing environmental challenges due to its perpetual underground fires and its legacy in India’s coal industry could form the basis of a carefully curated educational tourism site. Rajasthan is home to Hindustan Zinc’s mines in Zawar and Dariba, and has potential to develop industrial tours that explain modern mining processes and sustainability practices. Goa’s Iron Ore Mines have faced legal and environmental scrutiny in the past, but the region’s legacy offers a unique opportunity to present a balanced view of mining’s socio-economic and environmental dimensions.

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