By New Delhi: The Ministry of Tourism has undertaken several major initiatives to promote destination-based tourism development across the country, with a strong focus on strengthening infrastructure and enriching visitor experiences.
Under the revamped Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) scheme, the Ministry has sanctioned 53 projects with a total outlay of ₹2,208.31 crore. The scheme emphasizes sustainable and responsible tourism development while maintaining regional balance in project approvals. In addition, 38 projects worth ₹697.94 crore have been sanctioned under the Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) initiative, which functions under the Swadesh Darshan framework and aims to enhance tourism infrastructure through a competitive and quality-driven approach.
Further strengthening spiritual tourism, the Ministry has approved 54 projects amounting to ₹1,726.74 crore under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme. These projects focus on the development and rejuvenation of important pilgrimage and heritage destinations across the country.
Projects under SD2.0, CBDD and PRASHAD are sanctioned based on proposals submitted by the respective State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, in accordance with scheme guidelines, government instructions, availability of funds and inter-se priorities. While the Ministry ensures equitable regional representation, the responsibility for implementation, operation and management of the projects rests with the concerned State Governments and UT Administrations.
The sanctioned components primarily aim at facilitating tourists and improving overall destination infrastructure. These include the creation of tourist facilitation and interpretation centres, development of tourism activities, strengthening of health, sanitation and safety measures, enhancement of connectivity and parking facilities, general site development works, digital interventions and other soft components designed to improve visitor experience. An illustrative list of tourism-enhancing components has also been incorporated into the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 guidelines.
The pan-India rollout of these projects is expected to generate local employment opportunities, improve amenities and significantly boost tourist footfall. Since the assets created under these schemes are owned and managed by State Governments and UT Administrations, the Ministry has advised them to maintain and capture data relating to footfall, employment generation, revenue and other performance indicators.
In addition to infrastructure development, the Ministry continues to actively promote tourism destinations and products of the country through its official website, social media platforms and various promotional events.
This information was provided by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
