Parliament Question: Tourism Education and Chalo India Campaign

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.†*503 ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026 TOURISM EDUCATION AND CHALO INDIA CAMPAIGN †*503. SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA: SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO: Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has successfully launched a pilot project to train 10,000 tour guides in collaboration with Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and also plans to train the youth of Bharatpur Lok Sabha Constituency under this project and if so, the details thereof; (b) the manner in which the ‘Chalo India’ Global Diaspora Campaign' has successfully converted one lakh free e-visas into actual tourist arrivals by 2026 and whether this campaign has led to increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur; (c) the details of specific changes being made in the curriculum of the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology to convert it into a National Institute; (d) the manner in which the 'Dekho Apna Desh, People's Choice 2024 winners' ceremony organised in February, 2026 has encouraged the students towards tourism education; and (e) whether the Government has taken any special initiative to increase the participation of students from Bharatpur, Nathdwara, Kumbhalghar, Mewar and Marwar regions of Rajasthan towards tourism education and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT) (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *******STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. †*503 ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026 REGARDING TOURISM EDUCATION AND CHALO INDIA CAMPAIGN RAISED BY SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA AND SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO (a): The Union Budget 2026 announced pilot scheme for Upskilling 10000 guides in 20 iconic tourist sites across India, through 12 weeks structured academic and field training program aligned with National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) & National Credit Framework (NCrF) in terms of quality, outcome and certification. This upskilling of tourist guides is to develop professionally trained, knowledgeable, responsible Guides in the country including youths from the Bharatpur Lok Sabha Constituency. This programme is in collaboration with different stakeholders like Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management, Indian Institute of Management, Archeological Survey of India, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and other stakeholders. The training is conducted in financial year 2026-27. (b): The Chalo India initiative was launched by the Ministry of Tourism for members of the Indian Diaspora to become Incredible India Ambassadors by encouraging their non-Indian friends to visit India, every year. The objective of this initiative is to increase India’s share in the global tourism market, to promote the tourist destinations and tourism products of the country, including tourism promotions/products in Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur. The Ministry of Tourism undertakes tourism promotional activities in potential source markets overseas, in association with the Indian Missions overseas, Travel Tradeindustry and the State Governments/UT Administrations, to enhance tourist footfalls to the country. (c): The Union Budget 2026 announced to set up a National Institute of Hospitality (NIH) by upgrading the existing National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) to align academia, industry and Government as per the current demand of Hospitality industry. The updation of the curriculum of NCHMCT is an evolving process to keep the courses & curriculum relevant with the ever- evolving global trends and hospitality industry. (d): The Ministry of Tourism launched ‘Dekho Apna Desh, People’s Choice 2024’ to understand the pulse of ‘Bharat ki Janta’, on 7th March 2024 in Srinagar, the first-ever nation-wide IP (Intellectual Property). The aim of this nation-wide poll was to engage with citizens to identify most preferred tourist attractions and understand tourist perceptions across 5 tourism categories - Spiritual, Cultural & Heritage, Nature & Wildlife, Adventure and others. The Ministry of Tourism also rolled out the Dekho Apna Desh (DAD) Hand Written Brochure Contest for students from Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) and Navodaya Vidyalaya (NV) to make students become aware of the tourism attractions present in their District. The Students were encouraged to visit the ASI monuments and other destinations in and round their school. The following activity were undertaken during this initiative: • The Ministry of Tourism organised the Tourism Education Expo 2026 in around 10 states with the objective to create awarenessamong school students & their parents about career opportunities in Hospitality and Tourism. • The career counselling sessions, interaction with key personalities of Tourism & Hospitality, Campus tour of institutes etc. were undertaken to promote the premier institutions of Tourism and Hospitality education under Ministry of Tourism. • Preparation of hand written promotional brochure of 2 to 4 pages for the DAD school contest. Around 2000 hand written brochures were prepared by the students. • The winner schools and students were felicitated in the Winners ceremony organised in various states from February, 2026 onwards. • On the spot competitions like drawing of favorite monument, Fireless cooking, quiz competition on tourism etc. were also held. The Tourism Education Expo as well as Dekho Apna Desh hand written brochure making competition encouraged students towards tourism education. (e): The Ministry of Tourism supported establishment of 21 central IHMs, 35 State IHMs and 13 Food Craft Institutes (FCIs) in the country including in Rajasthan. The IHMs conducts undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma and certificate programs in Hospitality and Hotel Administration, Food Production, Accommodation Operations and such other courses. The Government has undertaken various initiatives to promote tourism and hospitality education across Rajasthan, which benefitsstudents from Bharatpur, Nathdwara, Kumbhalgarh, and from Mewar region. The State of Rajasthan has well-distributed institutional network of eight institutes i.e. 01 CIHM in Jaipur, 05 SIHMs in Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar, Udaipur, Dholpur and 02 FCIs at Ajmer & Pali. Students from Bharatpur are additionally supported through proximity to SIHM Dholpur (approximately 50–60 km), which offers diploma courses and skill-oriented training programmes. Similarly, students from Nathdwara and Kumbhalgarh benefit from SIHM Udaipur, while those from the Mewar and Marwar regions have access to SIHM Jodhpur, thereby ensuring regional outreach and accessibility to tourism education. Additionally, the Ministry of Tourism conducts Hospitality and Tourism related short term training courses under its “Capacity Building for Service Providers (CBSP)” scheme through Government and empanelled private institutes. These programmes include Hunar Se Rozgar Tak, Entrepreneurship Programme, Skill Testing & Certification, Tourism Awareness Programme, etc. to enhance employability of the candidates majorly in tourism and hospitality sectors. A total of 7933 candidates have been trained in Rajasthan since 2020-21 till date under CBSP. ******