Villages with rich traditional art, culture to be developed as rural tourism hotspots 

Tourism policy incentives for investors to showcase cultural and traditional arts

Ranchi, Feb 9: The state government will make the tourists aware of the rich cultural traditions and customs of Jharkhand through rural tourism under the tourism policy. 
Following directive from the chief minister Hemant Soren, state tourism department is making efforts to ensure that the benefits of rural tourism eventually reach the villagers. The government has started efforts to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state.

The department is giving rreference to villages with predominance of traditional art and culture

“The villages will be notified by the department keeping in view the tourism potential for rural tourism under the policy. The pre-condition for declaring such a village as a rural tourism village would be that they should have primacy of traditional art and culture. Village tourism committees will be formed to promote mutual cooperation and livelihood in such villages. For this purpose the Department will take the cooperation of Self Help Groups,” said an official of tourism department. 

In the first phase, the villages identified by the department will be those where tourist places will be near the village or there is scope for promotion of tourism. So that tourists can be attracted through an attractive tour package. Such identified villages will be developed as model villages. Basic facilities like roads, lanes, drainage, parking, bus stand, lighting, sanitation, drinking water supply, tourist information centre, open-air theatre, landscaping, craft market, nature trails will be developed.
. Also, work will be done to connect local artisans and craft centers to develop them as rural tourism hubs. There will be works to promote local cuisine, local handicrafts and cultural aspects in such villages. For its effective management, a “Rural Tourism Sub-Committee” will be constituted comprising the members of the Panchayati Raj Institution.

Government will give exemptions and no amount will be charged for electricity from villages notified for rural tourism. Proper synergy with financial institutions will be ensured to provide further funds for redesigning the village house, so as to ensure an attractive, clean and comfortable stay for the visiting tourists. The tourism department will take appropriate steps for wide publicity and publicity of such rural tourist places. The government has a plan to encourage private entrepreneurs to showcase the rural life of Jharkhand, which will soon be put on the ground.