Paryatan Mitra And Paryatan Didi Initiative:
The Union Ministry of Tourism has launched a national responsible tourism initiative titled Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi.
- The primary aim of this initiative is to elevate the overall experience for tourists in destinations, by having them meet ‘tourist-friendly’ people who are proud Ambassadors and Storytellers for their destination.
- The vision of this initiative 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.
- Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi were piloted in six tourist destinations across India: Orchha (Madhya Pradesh), Gandikota (Andhra Pradesh), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Aizawl (Mizoram), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), and Sri Vijaya Puram (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
- Under this 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.
- This training is driven by the ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ philosophye treating tourists as honored guests.
- 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.
