Government Initiatives

The Indian Government has realised the country’s potential in the tourism industry and has taken several steps to make India a global tourism hub. Some of the major initiatives planned by the Government of India to boost the tourism and hospitality sector of India are as follows:

• In the Union Budget 2022-23:
  • Rs. 2,400 crore (US$ 309.13 million) has been allocated to the Ministry of Tourism which is 18.42 %higher than the allocation for FY 2021-22.
  • Rs. 1,181.30 crore (US$ 152.16 million) is allocated for the Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
  • Rs. 235 crore (US$ 30.27 million) for the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual and Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) Scheme.
• In August 2022, Ministry of Tourism sanctioned 76 projects for Rs. 5,399.15 crore (US$ 678.39 million) under Swadesh Darshan Scheme for development of tourism infrastructure in the country.
• In June 2022, the Ministry of Tourism along with Associations of Indian Universities (AIU) initiated a 12 episode webinar series under ‘Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav’ (AKAM) to engage and expose young minds of our country to the rich and diverse heritage of the country.
• Till the end of September 2022, a total of 155 Dekho Apna Desh webinars have been organized by Ministry of Tourism.
• The Ministry of Tourism has launched the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Traveller Campaign in June 2022.
• From November 15, 2021, India allowed fully vaccinated foreign tourists to visit India, which in turn will help revive the Indian travel and hospitality sector.
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• In November 2021, the Ministry of Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation to strengthen hospitality and tourism industry. The ministry has also signed a MoU with Easy My Trip, Cleartrip, Yatra.com, Make My Trip and Goibibo.
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• In November 2021, the Indian government planned a conference to boost film tourism in the country with an aim to establish domestic spots as preferred filming destinations. This move is expected to create jobs and boost tourism in the country.
• In September 2021, the government launched NIDHI 2.0 (National Integrated Database of Hospitality Industry) scheme which will maintain a database of hospitality sector components such as accommodation units, travel agents, tour operators, & others. NIDHI 2.0 will facilitate the digitalisation of the tourism sector by encouraging all hotels to register themselves on the platform.
• Government is planning to boost the tourism in India by leveraging on the lighthouses in the country. 71 lighthouses have been identified for development as tourist spots.
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has introduced a new scheme called ‘All India Tourist Vehicles Authorisation and Permit Rules, 2021’, in which a tourist vehicle operator can register online for All India Tourist Authorisation/Permit. This permit will be issued within 30 days of submitting the application.
• The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) runs a series of Bharat Darshan tourist trains aimed at taking people to various pilgrimages across the country.
• During 2019-20, an additional fund Rs. 1,854.67 crore (US$ 269.22 million) was sanctioned for new projects under the Swadesh Darshan scheme.
• Ministry of Tourism sanctioned 18 projects covering all the North Eastern States for Rs. 1,456 crore (US$ 211.35 million) to develop and promote of tourism in the region under Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes.
• Statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as ‘State of Unity’, was inaugurated in October 2018 and the total revenue generated till November 2019 stood at Rs. 82.51 crore (US$ 11.81 million).