Historic Achievements in Cultural Renaissance and Tourism Development Mark 10 Years of Modi Government: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

From Ayodhya to Kashi: India Celebrates Cultural Milestones as Tourism Flourishes

Tourism Growth Soars as India Leverages ‘Whole-of-Government’ Approach

The Voice of Chandigarh News:

Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, highlighted a series of remarkable achievements and ongoing initiatives by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism, in a comprehensive media briefing, Shekhawat stated that the over 10-year tenure of the Narendra Modi government has been driven by a steadfast commitment to realizing the vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and ‘Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi’. The Minister said that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, revolutionary reforms have taken place in the fields of culture and tourism, benefiting Indians not only socio-economically but also intellectually.

The Minister emphasized that the country has witnessed a profound transformation in its policies and aspirations since 2014, marking a new era of growth and cultural renaissance. The grand Ram temple in Ayodhya stands completed, symbolizing a historic milestone. Vishwanath Dham in Kashi continues to elevate the stature of India’s cultural capital, while development projects in Somnath are setting new benchmarks. Shri Shekhawat highlighted the significant projects like the world’s largest Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum being built in New Delhi, National Manuscript Mission, the Global Kashi Cultural Path, repatriation of antiquities, increase in the number of classical Indian languages, PARI project, First Asian Buddhist Summit and commemoration of the 75^th Anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution. The Maha Kumbh being organized at Prayagraj from 13th January to 26^th February, 2025 will showcase the rich, spiritual and cultural heritage of our country to the world, he further said.

The Minister also spoke about the transformative strides in tourism, detailing infrastructure developments, global promotional campaigns, and projects aimed at enhancing India’s cultural and tourism landscape. Addressing the media the Minister stated that intensified efforts are being made to make tourism an integral part of building a ‘Viksit Bharat.’ A total of 76.17 million jobs have been created in the tourism sector. The ‘Paryatan Mitra’ & ‘Paryatan Didi’ programs have been launched. Foreign exchange earnings are estimated to be $28.07 billion, marking a 42.53% increase compared to 2014.

Domestic tourist numbers have seen a remarkable increase of 95.64%. India’s ranking in the global travel and tourism development index has improved from 65 to 39. Over ₹6,800 crore has been spent on destination development projects. Projects worth ₹3,295.76 crore have been approved for development of lesser-known tourism sites in various states. The e-tourist visa facility has proven to be very beneficial for the visitors, the minister informed.

Through a whole-of-government approach, the Ministries of Culture and Tourism have successfully created an ecosystem that not only provides essential facilities to stakeholders in both sectors but also fosters the development of crucial infrastructure. This approach has also proven effective in generating employment opportunities at local level, the Minister added.

The Union Minister also shared a comprehensive summary of the significant accomplishments and initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism. This included detailed insights into the transformative projects, schemes, and policies implemented over the past decade, showcasing the government’s efforts to enhance India’s cultural heritage and promote tourism. These initiatives reflect the government’s commitment to fostering economic growth, preserving cultural legacies, and ensuring sustainable development in both sectors. Details are as under:

Ministry of Culture

Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum

Envisaged as the world’s largest museum, to be spread across 1,50,000 sq m, the Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum is being developed at the North and South Block Secretariat buildings on Raisina Hill, New Delhi. India has collaborated with France for the first phase of the museum project (Feasibility Study) under the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, due to their expertise in similar adaptive reuse projects like the Louvre Paris.

National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM)

The National Mission for Manuscripts aims at documentation, conservation, digitization and dissemination of manuscripts across the country. Publication and identification of unpublished manuscripts, and transcription & editing of unpublished manuscripts, conservation workshops, paleography workshops and awareness programs will also be taken up as future activities.

Global Kashi Culture Pathway

The Kashi Culture Pathway is the seminal outcome document of the Culture Working Group under India’s successful G20 presidency adopted by G20 Culture Ministers, summarizing a set of commitments on the four priorities areas:

1. Enable the return and restitution of cultural property as an ethical imperative of social justice, as well as expanding the fight against illicit trafficking.
2. Acknowledge the invaluable contribution of local communities and living heritage to sustain livelihoods and inclusive development
3. Invest in the cultural and creative industries and the creative economy.
4. Harness the opportunities of digital transformation.

Maha Kumbh – 2025

Govt. of Uttar Pradesh is organizing Maha Kumbha at Prayagraj from 13th January to 26^th February, 2025. Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India aims to set up and run a cultural village (Kalagram) to showcase rich, spiritual and cultural heritage of the country. An area of 10.24 acres has been allocated in the Nagvasuki, Prayagraj to Ministry of Culture for the purpose.  A Ganga Pandal with capacity of 10,000 audiences will be set up by the Mela Authority where celebrity performances would be held. Three stage pandals with 4000 audience capacity each at Jhunsi, Nagvasuki and Areil as well as the 1000 capacity Amphitheatre at Kalagram will showcase emerging SNA awardees artists, NSD productions& ZCC ensembles. 20 stages will be constructed throughout the city which will be equally distributed between the UP Culture Department and the Ministry of Culture.

Commemoration of 75^th Years of Adoption of Constitution Day (November 26, 2024)

On November 26, 2024, India launched a historic year-long celebration to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, a cornerstone of the nation’s democratic framework. The grand inaugural programme took place at the Central Hall of Parliament, with the President of India, Hon’ble Vice President, Hon’ble Prime Minister, Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha, and other distinguished dignitaries in attendance. A commemorative coin and stamp were released to mark this significant milestone. Additionally, a booklet dedicated to the art of the Constitution, celebrating its artistic heritage and acknowledging the contributions of renowned artists involved in its design was also released.

Throughout the year, the Ministry of Culture will organize a series of activities as part of this commemoration. The campaign website, www.constitution75.com, has already received more than 37 lakh entries from people across the nation.

World Heritage Committee Meeting

Ministry of Culture, successfully hosted the 46^th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Delhi from 21^st – 31^st July 2024. The meeting was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, and attended by nearly 2900 international and national delegates from more than 140 countries. India’s nomination from Assam: “Moidams—the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty” was inscribed on the World Heritage List as a cultural property in July, 2024. India now has 43 properties on the World Heritage List, besides 56 properties on UNESCO’s Tentative List.

Repatriation of Antiquities

The Repatriation of Antiquities since 1976 to 2013 is 13.  Retrievals of Antiquities in last ten years (after 2014) – 642 (345 + 297). Total 297 antiquities are in process of shifting from USA to India which were handed over by US President Joe Biden to Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi during his visit from 21-24^th September to USA.

Recognition of Assamese, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, and Bengali languages as Classical Language

The Government has recognized Assamese, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, and Bengali as classical languages. This decision expands the number of classical Indian languages to 11, which already includes Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Oriya. The recognition of these languages as classical languages highlights the Government’s commitment to preserving India’s rich linguistic heritage. This designation boosts efforts for research, development, and promotion of these languages, fostering cultural pride and academic exploration.

Project PARI

Project PARI (Public Art of India) is a significant initiative by the Ministry of Culture, aimed at enhancing New Delhi’s cultural landscape in anticipation of the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting in July 2024. Spearheaded by the Lalit Kala Akademi and National Gallery of Modern Art, the project brings together over 150 artists from across India to create a wide range of public art installations, including murals and sculptures.

First Asian Buddhist Summit

1^st Asian Buddhist Summit (ABS) was held during 5^th & 6^th November, 2024 in New Delhi with the theme ‘Role of Buddha Dhamma in Strengthening Asia’. The Hon’ble president of India inaugurated the Summit on 5^th November, 2024. The event aimed at binding the Asian Buddhist nations with India’s rich Buddhist heritage.

Ministry of Tourism

Whole-of-Government Approach

Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi over the last decade, the tourism sector has reached new heights and is on its way to contributing to a Viksit Bharat by 2047. With around 1,50,000 kilometres of road network laid, ~500 new air routes & ~150 new airports having increased air connectivity, high speed Vande Bharat trains introduced, completion of around 100 tourism infrastructure projects, India’s G20 Presidency giving visibility to more than 60 destinations globally, clean destinations due to Swacch Bharat, improved convenience & digital connectivity through UPI – tourism has reached new highs due to the ‘Whole of Government’ approach.

Destination Development

Under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, over the last decade, through flagship schemes such as Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD, the Government has focused on holistic destination development by completing around 120 projects at a total cost of more than Rs. 6,800 crores.

Recently, to bring to fore lesser-known tourist destinations in the country, 40 high impact projects across 23 States have been sanctioned to enhance tourism infrastructure & tourist experience at a total cost of Rs. 3,295.76 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment. By infusing capital investment in the form of projects, the scheme further envisages growth of local economy and creation of employment opportunities through sustainable tourism projects. By focusing on lesser-known destinations, the Ministry hopes to enhance the overall tourism experience, boost local economies, and ensure sustainable growth in the tourism sector through a strategic approach to new project selection. To cite  few examples, projects  selected  at  Bateshwar (Uttar Pradesh),  Ponda (Goa),   Gandikota (Andhra Pradesh), Porbandar (Gujarat), Orchha (Madhya Pradesh), Nathula (Sikkim)  etc.  have been selected under the Scheme.

Skilling and Employment

The Paryatan Mitra & Paryatan Didi program was launched with ~3,500 tourism service providers trained as part of pilot of the program in 6 destinations, with initiative being implemented in 45 other destinations to ensure tourists have a positive and welcoming experience in destinations. The program is being strengthened and augmented to ensure better impact at a grassroots level in the destination.

For facilitating exposure of students to latest industry practices and enable employment opportunities for the youth, MoUs between 21 Institutes of Hotel Management and 8 leading hospitality groups have been entered into. The groups are Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, ITC Group of Hotels, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, Radisson Group of Hotels, and Lemon Tree Hotels.

Marketing & Promotion

Based on the clarion call of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, the Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign was launched to enable Indian diaspora members become Incredible India ambassadors. The campaign has been implemented in the spirit of Jan Bhagidari for an Atulya and Viksit Bharat to encourage the Indian diaspora to invite their 5 non-Indian friends to travel to India every year. 1 lakh free e-visas for foreign tourists visiting India under ‘Chalo India’ campaign have been announced for the remaining part of the current Financial Year.

On World Tourism Day, the Incredible India Content Hub and revamped Incredible India digital portal was launched to provide the travel and tourism industry around the world access to high quality images, videos, and other information they might need to promote Incredible India. Ministry of Tourism has also organised the 12th edition of International Tourism Mart (ITM) was held in Kaziranga, Assam from 26th to 29th, November, 2024.

Ease of Doing Business

The Ministry of Tourism has launched a handbook offering a step-by-step guide to support efforts of States/UTs in granting and implementing ‘industry status’ for the tourism & hospitality sector with the aim to attract greater investments and generate job opportunities within this sector across States/UTs.

Ease of Travel

• The Government launched e-Tourist Visa in November 2014 which enables the prospective visitor to apply for an Indian Visa from his/her home country online without visiting the Indian Mission and also pay the visa online.
• Ministry of Tourism has launched the 24×7 Multi-Lingual Tourist Info-Helpline on the toll-free number 1800111363 or on a short code 1363 in 12 Languages to provide support service in terms of information relating to Travel in India and also offers appropriate guidance to tourists in distress while travelling in India.

FACT SHEET

• In India, the tourism sector created 76.17 million (direct and indirect) jobs in 2022–2023, compared to 69.56 million in 2013–2014.
• In 2023, foreign exchange earnings (FEE) from tourism were USD 28.07 billion as compared to USD 19.69 billion in 2014, registering a growth of 42.53%.
• The number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during 2023 increased to 95 lakhs as compared to 77 lakhs in 2014, registering a growth of 23.96%.
• India saw 250 crore domestic tourist visits in 2023, an increase of 95.64 % from 123 crore in 2014.
• India’s ranking in the global Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) improved significantly from 65th in 2014 to 39th in 2024.
• In 2022, India ranked 6th globally in terms of tourism’s contribution to national GDPs.

For the year 2023

• International Tourist Arrivals (ITAs) in India during 2023 were 18.89 Million.
• Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during 2023 were 9.52 Million.
• Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) through tourism during 2023 were Rs.231927 Crore.
• Domestic Tourist Visits (DTVs) in India during 2023 were 2509 Million.
• GDP contribution from tourism sector during 2022-23 was 5%.

Numbers over the years