Parliament Question: Sustainability of tourism projects

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3182 ANSWERED ON 19.03.2026 SUSTAINABILITY OF TOURISM PROJECTS 3182 SMT. RAJANI ASHOKRAO PATIL: Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state: (a) whether Government has reviewed the environmental and social impact of tourism development projects across the country; (b) the number and details of environmental impact assessments conducted for new and ongoing tourism projects, State-wise; (c) the effects of such projects on local communities, livelihoods and cultural heritage; (d) the measures implemented to promote sustainable and responsible tourism, including eco- tourism initiatives, waste management and biodiversity conservation; and (e) whether growth-focused tourism policies and rapid infrastructure development risk neglecting ecological concerns and the steps proposed to balance tourism promotion with environmental protection and community welfare? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT) (a) to (e): Development of tourism infrastructure at different destinations and assessing environmental and social impact is primarily done by the concerned State Government (SG)/UT Administration (UTA). However, Ministry of Tourism under its various schemes including ‘Swadesh Darshan (SD)’, ‘Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0)’ and ‘Challenge Based Destination Development – CBDD’ (an initiative under Swadesh Darshan scheme) provides financial assistance for development of tourism infrastructure and experiences in the country including in rural and border areas, on receipt of the project proposals from State Governments/UT Administrations, in synergy with the scheme guidelines, Government directions, availability of funds, inter-se priority etc. Similarly, financial assistance to undertake projects is also provided to SGs/UTAs under ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)’ scheme with the idea to integrate development of identified pilgrimage and heritage destinations. The above-mentioned schemes are approved till March, 2026. Implementation of sanctioned projects, as well as the operation and management (O&M) of assets created under the above-mentioned schemes, are undertaken by the respective State Governments, UT Administrations or Central Agencies. No revenue-sharing model is envisaged under these schemes. However, the Ministry encourages State Governments/ UT Administrations to engage with local communities and ensure robust O&M of completed projects so as to increase footfall, generate local employment and enhance overall tourist satisfaction. Various aspects of sustainability including environmental sustainability, socio-cultural sustainability and economic sustainability are embedded in the scheme ideation.Further, Ministry has released ‘National Strategy for sustainable tourism’ which aims to mainstream sustainability in the Indian tourism sector and ‘National Strategy for Eco-Tourism’ with the vision to position India as a preferred destination for ecotourism. The Ministry also envisaged ‘Travel for LiFE (TFL)’, a programme for tourism sector under Mission LiFE, to create awareness about sustainable tourism and to nudge the tourists and tourism businesses to adopt sustainable practices synchronous with nature. The programme aims to mainstream sustainability into tourism in order to develop a sustainable, responsible and resilient tourism sector. *******