The Ministry of Tourism under its ‘Swadesh Darshan’ scheme provides financial assistance to State Governments/Union Territory (UT) Administrations/Central Agencies etc. for development of tourism infrastructure in the country. The projects under this scheme are sanctioned subject to availability of funds, submission of suitable Detailed Project Reports (DPR), adherence to scheme guidelines and utilization of funds released earlier etc. The Ministry of Tourism under its Swadesh Darshan Scheme (SDS) has sanctioned 10 projects under the theme of Coastal Circuit.
The Ministry of Tourism has now revamped its Swadesh Darshan scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) in order to develop sustainable and responsible destination centric approach with the following objectives:
(a) To enhance the contribution of tourism to the local economies.
(b) To create jobs including self-employment for local communities.
(c) To enhance the skills of local youth in tourism and hospitality.
(d) To increase private sector investment in tourism and hospitality.
(e) To preserve and enhance the local cultural and natural resources.
In order to harness the potential of Cruise Tourism in the country, a Task Force has been constituted with Secretary (Tourism) as the Chairman and Secretary (Shipping) as the Co-chairman. The Task Force consists of representatives from the ports, Ministries of Health, Home Affairs, External Affairs, Customs, CISF, Coastal States, etc. The 13th meeting of the Task Force on Cruise Tourism was held on 27.04.2022.
The first Incredible India International Cruise Conference was held on 14th to 15th May, 2022 in Mumbai. It was the first cruise conference to bring all stakeholders together. Further, the Ministry of Tourism undertakes various promotional activities in the international and domestic markets to promote tourism products of the country including Coastal Tourism in a holistic manner. This includes release of media campaigns under ‘Incredible India’ brand-line, promotional events, social media promotions etc. The Ministry of Tourism is promoting Coastal Tourism through its website www.incredibleindia.org.
This information was given by Minister of Tourism Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.