Tourist Circuit by Chhattisgarh to boost rural tourism

Chhattisgarh government is set to inaugurate the first phase of Ram Gaman tourism circuit project at Shivrinarayan.

• This project will help the rural economy of the state to flourish and bring benefits to the State.

• nomy of the state to flourish and bring benefits to the State.

Background

• Chhattisgarh has its own identity in the whole world as the maternal grandmother home of Lord Shri Ram.
• In this tourism circuit, Lord Shri Ram will be seen step by step from Korea district to Sukma and the stories of importance related to him will be seen and heard.
• Rama is said to have been born to Kaushalya and Dasharatha in Ayodhya, the ruler of the Kingdom of 
• His siblings included Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna. He married  Though born in a royal family, their life is described in the Hindu texts as one challenged by unexpected changes such as an exile into impoverished and difficult circumstances.
• Kosala region is now Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and odisha region.
• Chhattisgarh and its forests is the place where most of the time of lord Rama had spent during the exile.

Heritage tourism in India

• Heritage tourism is defined as “travel undertaken to explore and experience places, activities, and artefacts that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present”.
• It is oriented toward cultural heritage of the tourist location.
• It involves visiting historical or industrial sites, religious travel or pilgrimages.
• India is well known for its rich heritage and ancient culture.
• The country’s rich heritage is amply reflected in the various temples, majestic forts, pleasure gardens, religious monuments, museums, art galleries and urban and rural sites which are citadels of civilization.
• All these structures form the products of heritage tourism.

What is Ram Gaman tourism circuit project?

• The ambitious project of 'Ram Van Gaman Tourism Circuit' aims to preserve memories linked to Lord Ram's stay in Chhattisgarh during his exile from Ayodhya.
• The First phase of the project would include the development of the places related to the exile period of Lord Shri Ram as a world-class tourist destination.
• It is noteworthy that ‘Ram Van Gaman’ tourism circuit of about 2260 km is being developed from Harchowka in Sitamarhi of Korea district to Ramaram in Sukma.

How rural tourism will help nation’s economy?

• Generating Income and Employment: Tourism in India has emerged as an instrument of income, employment generation, poverty alleviation and sustainable human development.
• Source of Foreign Exchange Earnings: Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange earnings in India. This has favourable impact on the balance of payment of the country.
• Preservation of National Heritage and Environment: Tourism helps preserve several places which are of historical importance by declaring them as heritage sites.
  • For instance, the Taj Mahal, the Qutab Minar, Ajanta and Ellora temples, etc, would have been decayed and destroyed had it not been for the efforts taken by Tourism Department to preserve them.
• Developing Infrastructure: Tourism tends to encourage the development of multiple-use infrastructure that benefits the host community, including various means of transports, health care facilities and the hotels and high-end restaurants that cater to foreign visitors.
• Promoting Peace and Stability: Tourism industry can also help promote peace and stability in developing country like India by providing jobs, generating income, diversifying the economy, protecting the environment, and promoting cross-cultural awareness.

What are the others related schemes?

• SWADESH Darshan Scheme
• PRASHAD Scheme
• Buddhist Enclave
• Dekho Apna Desh initiative

What are the challenges in rural tourism Industry of India?

• Rural Tourism industry in India is growing and it has vast potential for generating employment and earning large amount of foreign exchange besides giving a fillip to the country’s overall economic and social development.
• Lack of Proper Infrastructure: Infrastructure needs for the travel and tourism industry range from physical infrastructure such as ports of entry to modes of transport to urban infrastructure such as access roads, electricity, water supply, sewerage and telecommunication.
• Access and Connectivity: The infrastructure facilities like air, rail, road connectivity, and hospitality services are still needs to be improved to connect various cities across the country.
• Amenities: Amenities available at various tourist locations and en route need to be improved. These include basic amenities such as drinking water, well maintained and clean waiting rooms and toilets, first aid and wayside such as lounge, cafeteria, and parking facilities, among others.
• Human Resource: To sustain growth in the tourism industry trained manpower is required at various levels such as managerial, supervisory, skilled or semi-skilled. At mid and senior management levels, the industry faces talent crunch and at the front-line staff level, although human resources are adequate, a boom in other service industries such as banking, retail, airline and BPO have resulted in shortage of manpower at this level for the travel and tourism industry.
• Marketing and Promotion: India needs to change its traditional marketing approach to a more competitive and modern approach. There is a need to develop a unique market position and the brand positioning will be the essence of the country’s tourism products to the potential customer.
• Security: Security has been a major problem for our growth in tourism for a number of years. Terrorist attacks or political unrest in different parts of the country have adversely affected sentiments of foreign tourists. However, the government needs to take a proactive approach in addressing these issues and in averting the potential impact on the industry.

Tourism has become the world's largest industry, generating wealth and employment, opening the minds of both visitors and the visited to different ways of life. In worldwide this industry currently employs more than 200 million people. Moreover tourism is one of the best instruments of economic development in all the way.

Rural Tourism sector plays a vital role in the way of helping poor countries to provide employment opportunities in an increasing rate. It is one of the important foreign exchange earning industries has manifested great potential of growth under liberalized Indian economy.

India’s tourism industry is experiencing a strong period of growth, driven by the burgeoning Indian middle class, growth in high spending foreign tourists, and coordinated government campaigns to promote ‘Incredible India’.