Lets imagine India: for example, the most visited monument in the world, the Taj Mahal. Perhaps, golden beaches, exotic food, women carrying baskets on their heads and elephants could challenge the Taj Mahal on the tourist’s list of things to see. However, rural tourism has been recognised by the World Travel Market as one of the best current projects in the tourism industry. It is now spread over 20 Indian states.
The rustic charm of Indian villages is seen in the region of Chandigarh, in the Punjabi countryside. Tourists tend to turn their backs on areas such as Delhi, Jaipur, Goa and Agra in favour of experiencing rural Indian life. The Indian tourist board has responded by providing guided tours in and around Chandigarh, giving visitors an opportunity to act out some of the farming routines themselves.
Organizers and tour operators have been making attempts to improve hygiene levels at these rural sites and transport links to and from the places of interest. Vivek Atrey, head of Chandigarh’s tourism department, has indeed pointed out that a visitor wishing to see more of India’s rural scene now needs to make very little effort and can travel to designated villages in comfort.
The tourist industry is the third largest foreign currency earner in India.
A majority of tourism destinations are either located or surrounded by rural geographies; hence rural tourism business models like home-stays, farm stays or community- managed guest houses [which use existing infrastructure and leverage the competitive strengths of rural households] offer viable & sustainable options even at low occupancies. Despite high growth potential and quicker pay-backs, rural tourism has not picked up significantly due to issues like information asymmetry, difficult booking and payment processes, non-availability of quality budget accommodations and poor quality services.
Mission: NE Rural Tourism Private Limited [RTNE] is established with a mission to bridge the supply chain gaps by identifying and investing in financially viable rural tourism business opportunities which positively impact the host communities and provide sustainable solutions to travelers, accommodation providers and travel service providers in technology, marketing and finance.