Lessons from Rural India

"Does the road less travelled appeal to you? If yes, then you're on the right track" so goes the opening statement to Explore Rural India. The Wall Street Journal gives a good account on what Rural Tourism means to Indians.

Behind eight swaying curtains lies India's online rural showcase to the world: An image gallery, brochures, visitor appreciation, a visual gallery, events, a slideshow, rural sites, and visitor feedback. Behind the image gallery curtain, for example, India is classed by colour to highlight its many cultures and features: Pure White, Green Tea, Mustard Yellow, Water Colour, Deep Purple, Stone Grey, Mystic Maroon and Technicolour. One can search rural India by destination, by map, and by circuits (routes). The Product Showroom displays local arts and crafts with contact information to the artisan.

A click on Kumbalanghii, for example, takes us to a place of indigenous fishing, crab farming, prawn culture, coir making and boat building. Bunavasi takes us to a most ancient spiritual centre of India. 28 such sites are presented.

Agri-Tourism Vision 2020

The Indian State of Maharashtra, India, recently unveiled its 10-year Agri-Tourism Vision 2020, according to TravelBizMonitor.com.

The main goal is to allow farmers to retain their farm and stay on the farm; that, in a speech at the Maharashtra State Agri & Rural Tourism Co-operation Federation (MART) national convention on Agri-Tourism, by managing director Pandurang Taware.

Other points in Vision 2010 include:

• Government should have a separate policy for Agri-Tourism. Financial institutions like public and private sector banks should support farmers by lending money to invest for farming.
• The primary objective of Agri-Tourism is to sell farm products produced by farmers and not the development of hospitality infrastructure.
• Tourism stake holders like tour operators and travel agents should support this segment (Agri-Tourism) by selling these destinations.
• Government should look after capacity building of farmers and promotion of Agri-Tourism, both domestically and internationally. Government of India should include Agri-Tourism in their marketing initiatives on the lines of promotion of other tourism segments.
• Basic infrastructure such as roads, drainage, toilet facilities, have to be maintained and developed at Agri-Tourism destinations.
• Income generates from Agri-Tourism has to be treated as agricultural income.

"The soul of India lies in villages", states Pradeep Kumar Jain, Minister of State for Rural Development, Government of India.

"Over 97 per cent of the city crowd were ready to travel over 300 km to experience the rustic beauty of village life,” said Taware, in a report by The Punekar.

"Heli-tourism" is part of rural tourism operation in northeast India

The Tripura government in northeast India has decided to introduce "heli-tourism" in the state by extending chopper services to promote tourism in the hinterland, reports iGovernment. "We will operate helicopter services to 20 tourism spots in Tripura" says Managing Director of the Tripura Tourism Development Corporation, Madhusudhan Bhattacherjee, according to the report. Chopper fares will be subsidized by the government to promote and stimulate the service.

The Tripura Tourism effort also focuses on water tourism, tea tourism, religious tourism, heritage tourism and rural tourism.

Diversity is key to rural tourism in Punjab, India

Tribune Photo taken by Kulbir Beera

Gurcharan Singh Mann is an exceptional, quality farmer in Tungwali village, Bathinda District, Punjabi region of India. His farm has been selected under the Punjab Rural Tourism Plan, because of its diversified farming and related ventures, reports Chandigarh Tribune of India and the Global Sikh News.

Mann believes that diversification is lucrative and is key to attracting visitors and business partners. Aside from, or instead of, cotton and paddy, he's into fish, honey, orchards (banana, jamun, amla, ber, guava, pomegranate, apples, aloe vera), mixed timber and other crops (including turmeric and red chilly for Agmark), bio-gas, mushrooms. He has converted over 40 acres of former sand dunes into a destination spot.

Punjab Agricultural University awarded Mann the Parvasi Bharti Award in 2005 for diversification. Mann believes one needs to adapt and to adopt.