**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned 53 projects under the revamped Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme for Rs. 2208.31 Crore, aimed at developing sustainable and responsible tourism destinations. As part of the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme, the Ministry also launched ‘Challenge Based Destination Development' and sanctioned 38 projects for about Rs.698 Crore. This initiative, among others, also includes the ‘Travel for LiFE (TFL) programme. The information was posted on February 5, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Swadesh Darshan 2.0 Scheme:**
* Revamped scheme focuses on sustainable and responsible tourism.
* Aims to minimize negative and maximize positive impacts of tourism.
* Encourages sustainable tourism principles, including environmental, socio-cultural, and economic sustainability.
* Requires consultation with local communities and stakeholders.
* Promotes renewable energy, eco-friendly materials, accessible infrastructure, and responsible tourist behavior.
* **Challenge Based Destination Development:**
* Initiative under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 to enhance tourist experience and transform destinations sustainably.
* **General Provisions:**
* Financial assistance provided to State Governments/UT Administrations (SGs/UTAs) based on project proposals.
* Components considered include sustainability, safety, sanitation, etc.
* Ministry reviews project progress and encourages robust operation and management.
* National Strategy for sustainable tourism aims to mainstream sustainability and ensure resilient, inclusive, carbon-neutral and resource-efficient tourism.
* **Travel for LiFE (TFL) Programme:**
* Programme under Mission LiFE to create awareness about sustainable tourism.
* Aims to encourage tourists and businesses to adopt sustainable practices.
* Seeks to mainstream sustainability into the tourism sector.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Government/UT Administrations**
* **Impact:** Receives financial assistance for tourism infrastructure development.
* **Action Required:** Submit project proposals in synergy with the scheme guidelines, government directions, availability of funds and inter-se priority and to undertake robust operation and management of projects to benefit the local community and stakeholders.
**Local Communities and Stakeholders**
* **Impact:** Directly benefits from tourism projects and improved local operation and management of tourism projects.
* **Action Required:** Engage in consultations for project development and benefit from employment opportunities.
**Tourists and Tourism Businesses**
* **Impact:** Encouraged to adopt sustainable practices and create awareness about sustainable tourism through the Travel for LiFE programme.
* **Action Required:** Adopt sustainable practices and engage in the Travel for LiFE program.
Key Entities Referenced
Swadesh Darshan 2.0: A revamped scheme to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations.
Ministry of Tourism: The primary ministry responsible for promoting and developing tourism in India, implementing schemes like Swadesh Darshan 2.0.
Travel for LiFE (TFL): A programme under Mission LiFE to create awareness about sustainable tourism and nudge adoption of sustainable practices.
Challenge Based Destination Development: An initiative under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 for holistic development of tourist destinations.
Ministry of Tourism
Under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 Ministry of Tourism
sanctioned 53 projects for Rs.2208.31 Crore
Posted On: 05 FEB 2026 3:36PM by PIB Delhi
Development and promotion of tourism including aspects related to environmental sustainability, local
community participation, safety, sanitation etc. primarily falls under the purview of the concerned State
Government/UT Administration. However, Ministry of Tourism under its various schemes provides
financial assistance for development of tourism infrastructure and experiences in the country by extending
financial assistance to the SGs/UTAs on receipt of the project proposals from them, in synergy with the
scheme guidelines, Government directions, availability of funds, inter-se priority etc. The components
considered for sanctioning under the projects also include those related to sustainability, safety, sanitation
etc. as per project requirement.
The Ministry revamped its Swadesh Darshan scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 in 2022 with the focus to
develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations in the country and sanctioned 53 projects for
Rs.2208.31 Crore in the country. The scheme recognizes that to minimize the negative impacts and
maximise the positive impacts of tourism, sustainable and responsible tourism practices is the key. The
scheme focuses on implementation of sustainable and responsible tourism practices in various projects and
initiatives and also encourages adoption of principles of sustainable tourism including environmental
sustainability, socio-cultural sustainability and economic sustainability. It also includes consultation with
local communities and stakeholder while preparing projects for development of destinations, encourages
use of renewable energy, eco-friendly material, development of accessible infrastructure, sensitize tourists
to respect environment and encourage responsible behaviour.
Ministry of Tourism launched ‘Challenge Based Destination Development’ as an initiative under Swadesh
Darshan 2.0 scheme with the intention to undertake holistic development of the destination to enhance
tourist experience across all points of tourist value chain, which also focuses on transforming destinations
as sustainable and responsible destinations. The Ministry has accordingly sanctioned 38 projects for about
Rs.698 Crore in the country under this initiative.
Ministry of Tourism periodically reviews the progress of projects sanctioned under its various schemes
and encourages State Government/UT Administrations to undertake robust operation and management of
these projects so that the benefits accruing from the same reaches to the local community and
stakeholders.
The Ministry has released National Strategy for sustainable tourism which aims to mainstream
sustainability in the Indian tourism sector and ensure more resilient, inclusive, carbon-neutral and
resource-efficient tourism while safeguarding natural and cultural resources and the key stakeholders inthe initiative also includes non-government organization and local community.
The Ministry 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 sector towards developing a sustainable, responsible and resilient tourism sector.
This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in
a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
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Sunil Kumar Tiwari
tourism4pib[at]gmail[dot]com
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