Dismayed to note that in last 1 year, only one model rural cluster identified: Par panel

New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) A parliamentary committee has lauded the Best Village Competition of the Ministry of Tourism, but said it is "dismayed" to note that in the last one year, only one model rural cluster has been identified, "without any action being taken" on the ground.

The report on the "Action Taken by the Government on the Recommendations/ Observations of the Committee contained in its Three Hundred Fifty Seventh Report on the subject Development of Niche Tourism (including Spiritual Tourism), Theme-based Tourist Circuits and Potential Tourist Spots" was presented in Parliament on Monday.

On its observation on the promotion of tourism abroad by Indian missions in the report, the committee has said it "appreciates the competence of the MEA officers but feels that the MEA may explore the possibility of posting officers from the Ministry of Tourism, who are well trained and experienced in tourism promotion, in Indian missions abroad".

In its response to this observation, the tourism ministry said, "In order to have a wide and far-reaching tourism promotional effort, the Ministry of Tourism will work in association with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding the possibility as proposed of posting officers from the Ministry of Tourism in Indian missions abroad for taking up the tourism promotional efforts to complement the effort of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)." In its report, the committee further said it has also been informed that "the MEA is considering a proposal to the Ministry of Tourism to designate Tourism Officers in all missions", in addition to the 20 tourism officers already designated in the top 20 source markets of tourism, and recommended that it would be beneficial to have designated officers in more missions abroad for tourism promotion.

The panel has also recommended that virtual meetings can be conducted between the two ministries at regular intervals by involving the missions and other stakeholders like tour operators to understand the "gaps" in tourism promotion and identify actions required from each stakeholder.

The committee said it is "concerned about the limited number of meetings" held by the tourism officers with Indian stakeholders and foreign tourism agents or B2B players since their appointment. The ministry should ensure that regular and frequent meetings are scheduled to foster better communication and collaboration, it added.

On rural tourism, the panel said while it appreciates the Best Village Competition initiated by the ministry, but is "dismayed to note that in the past one year, only one Model Rural Cluster has been identified, without any action being taken on the ground".

The committee noted that the villages to be covered in the Vibrant Villages programme are located in "far-flung areas and close to borders, often in difficult terrains".

"The committee feels that the state of Uttarakhand has a number of border villages with rich traditions and local culture and recommends that the ministry may make concerted efforts to develop the Model Rural Cluster in Uttarakhand within a targeted time schedule," the report said.

In the report, the Ministry of Tourism said the committee's suggestions have been "noted".

The parliamentary panel also pointed out that India has a "less than 1 per cent" share in the global MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) business, despite being one of the fastest-growing economies.

"India was ranked 28th with 158 meetings in 2019 International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranking of countries. Indian cities are ranked poorly in the international ranking of cities by ICCA in terms of the number of international associations' meetings.

"There are only seven cities of India in the top 475 cities, the topmost being Delhi at the 75th position with 37 meetings held and Ahmedabad at the bottom at the 424th position with four meetings. Even Goa, which is one of the country's top tourist destinations, is ranked at the 307th position with eight meetings," it said.

The committee also noted that India's outbound MICE market is one of the fastest growing markets globally. PTI KND RC