By IANS
Jaipur : To cash in on booming tourism, the Rajasthan government’s cooperative department is entering the sector by launching a rural tourism project.
The department would take tourists on visits to small villages and offer them local cuisine.
“Initially, we have decided to start the project from two villages. We have identified 26 villages in 15 districts for this, and these villages would be named as tourist ‘dhanis’,” Rajasthan’s cooperative minister Prabhulal Saini told IANS here Monday.
Bichoon near Jaipur and Abhaneri in Dausa district have been identified as two ideal villages to be developed under this project.
The projects would be launched by forming cooperative societies.
It is expected that tourists would gain an insight into the Rajasthan countryside through this initiative.
Tourists would be given traditional charpoy (traditional cot) to sit on and would be served with village delicacies like “rabri”, “dal-bati” and “bara-ki-roti”.
Tourists would also be able to play traditional rural games with the villagers. They would be taken on bullock carts to tour the countryside. Camel safaris and performances by folk artists would also be included in the package.
“Not only would it (the project) generate employment opportunity in villages but also help in developing villages and tourism infrastructure,” Saini said.
Tour operators have welcomed the step, saying that it would offer new avenues for tourists visiting the state.
“I think that tourists coming to Rajasthan love to visit villages. This move is expected to give a boost to tourism in the state,” said Navendu Goswami, a tour operator.
Voicing similar views, Sanjay Rawat, another travel agent, said it would open employment opportunities in rural areas. “The government should train villagers as guides,” Rawat said.
With a record arrival of over 1.2 million foreign tourists and 17 million domestic tourists during 2005-06, Rajasthan has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in India.
The rate of growth of tourism in Rajasthan has been phenomenal in the last few years. Annual rate of growth for domestic and overseas tourists has been seven percent and five percent, respectively. The total spending by all tourists visiting the state is over Rs.10 billion a year.