Offbeat Bucket List: Tourism departments promote unique travel experiences across India
skydiving in Madhya Pradesh, exploring a “seabeach” in Rajasthan or going on a temple trail in Goa?
You could even board a special tourist train to cover lesser-known spots in Uttarakhand.
State tourism departments across the country are working on promoting new destinations and activities in a bid to attract more travellers, said officials. While Goa, for instance, wants tourists to explore more of the coastal state beyond its beaches, Rajasthan wants to develop destinations other than forts and palaces, they said.
Goa has launched a ‘Regenerative Tourism’ campaign, aimed at promoting unexplored tourist attractions. MakeMyTrip, which inked a memorandum of understanding with Goa’s department of tourism last month for a first-of-its kind public-private partnership, said the “collaborative effort” is aimed at boosting tourism by positioning the state as a year-round destination.
“Eleven temples all over Goa have been selected for Ekadasha Teertha; we are taking people away from the beaches,” said Deepak Narvekar, deputy general manager for marketing at Goa Tourism Development Corporation. “This concept of ‘Goa Beyond Beaches’ has been initiated by tourism minister Rohan Khaunte. We are also focusing on promoting responsible tourism and village tourism through local communities.”
Similarly, Rajasthan is developing new tourist attractions, for which several new destinations are being identified, said Daleep Singh Rathore, deputy director, tourism, Rajasthan Tourism.
“Here, bird or avian tourism is taking on a new
