A bid to bring sustainability into the mainstream of the Indian tourism sector is being made by the country’s government.
The ‘Travel for LiFE’ initiative aims to create more resilient, inclusive, carbon-neutral and resource-efficient tourism while safeguarding natural and cultural resources.
India’s tourism secretary V Vidyavathi said: “[The] ‘Travel for LiFE’ programme will encourage tourists to take simple actions that result in conservation of the environment, biodiversity, improvement in the local economy and preservation of the socio- cultural integrity of the local communities.
“It aims to create mindful and deliberate utilisation of resources by the stakeholders in the tourism value chain.”
The campaign was unveiled at World Travel Market as tourism representatives met UK tour operators “to foster connections, explore business prospects, and share insights and knowledge”.
More than 200 trade guests attended an India event at a five-star hotel in London to showcase a ‘Travel for LiFE’ video, as well as films from the state tourism boards of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Rajasthan.
Almost 50 officials made up the India delegation at WTM, including from the state tourism departments from Delhi, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, and the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation.
The tourism departments of Kerala, Karnataka, Ladakh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, took their own stands.