From Our Special Correspondent
KHAJURAHO, March 27: Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel has urged indigenous people in Northeastern states to initiate homestays to aid experiential tourism and boost economy.
Patel was speaking at the three-day Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) road show, which concluded at Khajuraho on Saturday.
The minister said that indigenous communities should opt for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to build pucca houses and convert their mud houses into homestays for national and international tourists, keeping the originality intact.
He said the Centre was planning to revamp 19 iconic heritage places across India, including Kaziranga, for tourism, meetings and other activities. He added several other famous destinations like Khajuraho could adopt the same model for tourism. “There are many hidden reasons for traditional homes of villagers all over the country, especially in the northeast,”
said the minister, who is going the visit the region this week.
“The mud houses in rural northeast resist earthquakes, while in the plains of Bundelkhand, which houses Khajuraho, they help people bear the dry hot weather,” Patel said.
Tourists do not look for luxury, instead they want a different and unique experience, the minister said. “For a tourist, staying with locals is the best way to know a place,” he said.
“People in the northeast are hospitable, which often makes tourists’ trip memorable,” Patel pointed out.
“They share their day-to-day activities along with age-old tales which is a major attraction for tourists,” he said.
While developing Khajuraho as a tourist site for all seasons, turning traditional Bundelkhand homes into homestays and boosting connectivity, were some of the proposals that the Union tourism ministry had received during consultations with stakeholders. Similar road shows under ‘Incredible India’ to promote the country as a MICE destination will be organised in other selected iconic sites.
The other iconic heritage sites in the country are the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh), Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves (Maharashtra), Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort and Qutub Minar (Delhi), Colva Beach (Goa), Amer Fort (Rajasthan), Somnath, Dholavira and Statue of Unity (Gujarat), Hampi (Karnataka), Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Kumarakom (Kerala), Konark(Odisha) and Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar).
