The Hindu Business Line : `Involve locals in tourism development'

(From second left) Mr Y.K. Modi, President, FICCI; Mr Arjuna Ranatunga, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Industry and Investment Promotion, Sri Lanka; Ms Renuka Choudhury, Minister of State for Tourism; Mr P.U. Zoramthanga, Chief Minister of Mizoram; Lt. Gen. T.P.S. Rawat, Minister of Tourism, Uttaranchal; Mr Lalit Suri, CMD, Bharat Hotels Ltd; and Dr Leo Michael Toyad, Minister for Tourism, Malaysia, at an international conference on Eco & Rural Tourism in the Capital on Wednesday. — Kamal Narang

New Delhi , Aug. 25

THE Minister of State for Tourism, Ms Renuka Choudhury, has emphasised the importance of tourism as an employment creator particularly so in rural livelihoods. She stressed the need to involve local communities in tourism development and eliminate possible conflict areas.

Inaugurating the two-day International Eco and Rural Tourism Marketing Conference organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here on Wednesday,

Ms Choudhury highlighted the element of eco tourism and said that it embraces the local reality.

She said, "We need to take these people on board, teach them modern skills of preservation of their eco systems and treat this particular issue with great sensitivity and care".

The Minister also said that it is important to understand that eco tourism can maximise the productivity of India's national human, cultural, technical and scientific resources. She further added, "Our aim is to undertake poverty eradication in an environmentally sustainable manner by enhancing employment potential within the tourism sector as well as to foster economic integration, developing linkages with other sectors."

On the initiatives taken by the Government to promote rural tourism, the Minister said that it has started rural tourism schemes which encourage proposals from States whereby funding is arranged for specific hardware activities in potential rural locations up to Rs 50 lakh each.

To support the scheme, the Ministry has entered into an indigenous software project with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department of Economic Affairs with the rural poor as target beneficiaries backed by community pride and identity.

As an initial intervention, 31 sites all over India have been identified in the country for rural tourism schemes under the UNDP indigenous project fund programme, which will cover sites enabling Rs 20 lakh per site, the Minister said adding that "With this kind of monetary support, I appeal to NGOs to remain conduits between Government and actual implementation of the programme."

On the occasion, the Minister released an incisive study on `Investment opportunities in eco tourism'.

This study highlights the immense potential of eco and rural tourism to benefit local communities. It outlines the opportunities to use tourism for local economic development and to develop clusters of products and services in communities, which can be marketed to international, regional and domestic tourists.