• On the occasion of World Tourism Day, the Ministry of Tourism launched a national responsible tourism initiative by the name of ‘Paryatan Mitra & Paryatan Didi’ — spanning 50 tourism destinations across the country.

• The vision of ‘Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi’ is to welcome one and all to experience Incredible India through Incredible Indians, thereby creating a more welcoming, hospitable, and memorable experience for tourists when in India.

• The pilot programme was conducted in six tourist destinations — Orchha (Madhya Pradesh), Gandikota (Andhra Pradesh) Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Aizawl (Mizoram), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), and Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).

• Since the pilot of this programme on August 15 this year, around 3,000 people have been trained in the six destinations on the importance of creating a positive experience for tourists, thereby being a Paryatan Mitra.

• Through this initiative, the ministry aims to elevate the overall experience for tourists in destinations, by having them meet “tourist-friendly” people who are proud ambassadors & storytellers for their destination.

• This is being done by providing tourism related training and awareness to all individuals who interact and engage with tourists in a destination.

• Cab drivers, auto drivers, staff at railway stations, airports, bus stations, hotel staff, restaurant workers, homestay owners, tour guides, police personnel, street vendors, shop keepers, students, and many more were provided training and awareness on the importance of tourism, general cleanliness, safety, sustainability, and also on the importance of providing tourists with the highest standards of hospitality and care.

• These individuals were also made aware of the local stories of the destination along with its lesser-known tourism wonders, so that every person a tourist interacts with in these destinations, turn out to be local ambassadors and storytellers, who strive to create a positive tourist experience in every manner.

• Special emphasis is being placed on the training of women and youth to enable them to develop new tourism products & experiences like heritage walks, food tours, craft tours, nature treks, homestay experiences, and other innovative tourism products based on the potential of the destination. 

• It is also envisioned that locals leverage these skills to obtain gainful employment going forward as homestay owners, food & cuisine experience providers, cultural guides, natural guides, adventure guides, and other roles in tourism.

• Tourism-specific training is being followed by general training in digital literacy and digital tools to ensure that the experiences they create are discoverable and visible to tourists, nationally and globally.

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