Women self-help groups can offer cultural tours to visitors: Manisha Saxena

At the Mastercard event in Delhi, the Director General Tourism talked about local tourism and women empowerment in India. She also discussed cultural heritage preservation and unique experiences with local communities that reflect India's diverse culture, heritage sites, festivals, and cuisine across regions.

Manisha Saxena, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, shared the ministry's vision of enhancing local tourism and empowering women in the country at the launch of Mastercard's 'Priceless India' program in Delhi. She said that the ministry will leverage the opportunities and learnings from India's G20 presidency to create immersive experiences for travellers in Tier-II cities, where the infrastructure has improved. She also said that the ministry will support women's self-help groups across the country to offer authentic tourism experiences that preserve traditions and generate livelihoods.

She elaborated on the efforts to preserve and promote the cultural legacy and create distinctive opportunities that involve the local communities and reflect India's rich variety of culture, heritage sites, festivals and cuisine across regions.

She pointed out that India has many women's self-help groups under the National Rural Livelihood Mission and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission. She said that these groups consist of confident and empowered women who are ready to deliver whatever they are trained for. She suggested that engaging them in designing and delivering these opportunities would also help to safeguard a significant part of the intangible heritage in terms of food, rituals and practices. She stressed that this was the best way to document and preserve these traditions.

The official also urged for more cooperation to explore and share new experiences that showcase India's modern development as well. He mentioned that India has improved road and air connectivity, making it easier to discover and experience new places. He emphasized the importance of highlighting India's rich cultural heritage and diverse experiences, from ancient monuments to changing languages and cuisine.

The Indian tourism industry faces a challenge of developing its human resources, especially the storytellers who can narrate the rich and diverse heritage of the country. Saxena, the director general of tourism, said that there is a gap between the demand and supply of such storytellers, who can enhance the visitor experience and create lasting memories.

He suggested that the private sector can play a vital role in training and employing storytellers, who can work with hotels and tour operators to offer customized and authentic tours. He said that the Ministry of Tourism is ready to support and facilitate such initiatives, which can boost the quality and competitiveness of the industry.

He also shared some of his personal stories and insights about India's culture, traditions and festivals, which reflect the country's unity in diversity. He said that the Ministry is working on a new Incredible India platform, which will showcase the best of India's tourism offerings and attract more domestic and international tourists.