The Ministry of Tourism promotes India’s cultural heritage as a driver of economic and social development in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 through infrastructure development, marketing and promotion, and skill & capacity development initiatives. Infrastructure development is supported under schemes of Swadesh Darshan, Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (including Challenge Based Destination Development), Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD), Special Assistance to States/UTs for Capital Investment (SASCI), and Assistance to Central Agencies, with emphasis on sustainable and responsible destinations.

In addition to the infrastructure development, promotion of various tourism destinations, products and experiences of India is undertaken in domestic and international markets through events, participation in travel fairs and exhibitions, support to States/UTs for fairs and festivals, websites and social media platforms.

Skill development is undertaken through capacity building programmes to enhance service standards for creating a pool of trained tourist facilitators. The Ministry is also promoting responsible tourism by empowering and involving local communities at tourist destinations.

To strengthen India’s global tourism presence, Ministry has launched a revamped version of the Incredible India Digital Platform (IIDP), designed as a comprehensive and user-friendly resource for travellers and tourism stakeholders. The platform features an AI-powered tool that personalizes visitor experiences by offering real-time weather updates, city exploration options, and essential travel services. It also integrates with online travel agents (OTAs) to enable seamless booking of flights, hotels, cabs, buses, and entry tickets to ASI monuments, making travel planning more convenient and efficient.

This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

tourism4pib[at]gmail[dot]com

(Release ID: 2159119)