RURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: AN OVERVIEW OF TOURISM IN THE VILLAGE THANEDHAR AND NARKANDA IN SHIMLA DISTRICT, HIMACHAL PRADESH (INDIA)

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1 RURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: AN OVERVIEW OF TOURISM IN THE VILLAGE THANEDHAR AND NARKANDA IN SHIMLA DISTRICT, HIMACHAL PRADESH (INDIA) Kamal Sharma School of Hospitality & Tourism Management AP Goyal Shimla University Shimla, India ABSTRACT Rural tourism is a recent offshoot of tourism sector that has grown up to be a potential business in its own space. Rural tourism is a form of nature based tourism that uncovers the rural life, culture, art and heritage at rural locations, thereby favoring the local communities socially and economically. Such form of tourism has created tremendous impact on the local economy and socio-cultural scenario of the concern area on one hand and carries a potential scope for the rural residents on the other hand. Rural tourism is an opportunity for rural development. According to 2011 census of Himachal Pradesh, % of the state dwells in the villages. As such the rural environment, rural culture & rural people can play a vital role in the local development by involving the concept of rural tourism. A group of villages of Shimla have got immense potential in terms of rural tourism product to showcase the rural life, art, culture and heritage thereby benefitting the indigenous population economically and socially as well as enabling a rich & real tourism experience. This research paper is exploratory in nature and inspects the rural tourism resources of the villages of Shimla. It further focuses on identifying the rural population s understanding of the rural tourism s development and its consequent benefits. Keywords: Rural Tourism, Rural Development, Resources, Benefits, Challenges. INTRODUCTION Rural tourism focuses on actively participating in a rural lifestyle. It can be a variant of ecotourism. Many rural villages can facilitate tourism because many villagers are hospitable and eager to welcome (and sometime even host) visitors. Agriculture is becoming highly mechanized and therefore, requires less manual labor. This trend is causing economic pressure on some villages, which in turn causes young people to move to urban areas. There is however, a segment of the urban population that is interested in 1

2 visiting the rural areas and understanding the lifestyle. This segment in the tourism industry has been rapidly growing in the past decade, leading to rural tourism becoming not just a good business prospect, but a genuine vacation trend. Rural tourism is a multi-faced activity that takes place in an environment outside heavily urbanized area. It is an industry sector characterized by small scale tourism business, set in areas where land use id dominated by agricultural pursuits, forestry or natural area. (Dept. of Tourism, 1994) Rural tourism is regarded as a part of both Rural Development and Sustainable development. Rural tourism takes many forms, so it is difficult to give an exact definition. Rural tourism is a form of nature based tourism that uncovers the rural life, culture, art and heritage at rural locations, thereby favoring the local communities socially and economically. Such form of tourism has created tremendous impact on the local economy and socio-cultural scenario of the concern area on one hand and carries a potential scope for the rural residents on the other hand. Rural tourism brings people of different culture, faiths, languages and life style, close to one another and it provide a broader outlook of life. It not only generates employment for the people but it also develops social, cultural and educational values. Rural tourism is an opportunity for rural development. Rural tourism is one of the opportunities that rural communities might consider to improve productivity and incomes. Sustainable rural tourism can generate long term benefits for villagers. OBJECTIVE a) To understand the potential of rural tourism in the study area. b) To identify the challenges and opportunities in rural tourism. c) To find out the impact of rural tourism to our society. d) To identify the essential elements for development of rural tourism. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The required information s are collected from secondary data sources. Data are collected from various relevant books, journals, website etc. RURAL TOURISM IN INDIA In India, the scheme of rural tourism was launched in , not merely keeping in mind the economic objectives, but also the social, cultural & ecological aspects of the rural destination. The Rural Tourism project has also been taken up with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Ministry s Endogenous Tourism Project in 2003 to support community and village based tourism in India16. The five broad objectives of this initiative were to do capacity building at the local level, try out with location - specific models of community tourism enterprise, put together strong community-private 2

3 ventures, maintain pioneering and promising rural tourism projects and provide inputs to national and state tourism policy. Till January 2012, rural tourism projects at 183 sites have been sanctioned in India and 52 rural sites have been commissioned (June 2011). Also, this segment of Indian Tourism has been winning accolades in the international arena. For example, the rural tourism project at Hodka village in Kutch district of Gujarat have received PATA award in 2010 for Heritage category and CNBC Awaaz Travel Award in 2008 for Best Tourism Income Generating Community. Also, Village Naggar in District Kullu, Himachal Pradesh has received PATA award in 2008 for Demonstrating Women Empowerment at its best. In the twelfth five year plan ( ), in order to develop rural tourism, emphasis has been given on cluster approach i.e. Rural Tourism Clusters (RTCs) rather than the single village approach. For the development of rural tourism clusters, a three phase process has been adopted. The first phase involves selection of site by national level consultant of the Ministry of Tourism in consultation with state government & travel trade. The second Phase involves review of the DPR by Ministry of Tourism through independent agencies and sanction of central financial assistance by Ministry of Tourism for approved projects. The third phase involves execution of rural tourism cluster project. For a cluster of 6 villages a central financial assistance of 11 crore is recommended for physical infrastructure and capacity building. For each village an amount of Rupees 1.5 crore is allocated, keeping Rupees two crore for common facilities/ activities in each cluster. RURAL TOURISM IN HIMACHAL PRADESH The life style of villager is different from the metro or other cities. Even after the industrialization, most of the Indian population is engaged in agriculture. There are other people in rural India who earn their bread by various arts, handicrafts and couture and tourism. Tourism in India gives employment and business opportunities to many people who are employed in rural sector. Because of its importance rural tourism of India needs more attention and support. Rural tourism will bring people of different cultures, faiths, languages and life-styles close to one another and it will provide a broader outlook of life. It will not only generate employment for the people but it can also develop social, cultural and educational values. The concept of rural tourism has a noble cause, it is another kind of sustainable tourism that exploits resources in : Rural regions, causes little or no harmful impact, and generates, increasing benefits to rural areas in terms of rural productivity, employment, improved distribution of wealth, conservation of the rural environment and culture, local people's involvement, and a suitable way of adapting traditional beliefs and values to modern times. Himachal Pradesh is one of the states in India which has got great diversity in terms of travel & tourism. It offers a colorful, extravagant, graceful, and diverse aspect of her personality to each traveller. Himachal Pradesh provides varied kinds of tourism options such as Adventure Tourism, Religious Tourism, Rural Tourism, Sustainable Tourism, Eco-Tourism, Green Tourism, Golf Tourism, 3

4 Nature Tourism, Medical Tourism apart from Cultural & Heritage Tourism. Himachal Pradesh is a land which is bequeathed with natural splendour at its best picturesque locations; snow capped mountains, luxuriant green valleys, a cool climate and hospitable people. Himachal Pradesh has got immense tourism potential. The State government tourism policy is now diversifying tourism to regions which are novel and have tourism potential. That s why efforts are being made to promote rural tourism and diversify tourists to countryside or new areas and decongest the over saturated tourist destinations. Himachal Pradesh Government has launched a scheme known as Har Gaon Ki Kahani (story of every village), in addition to Home Stay Scheme, which is attracting hoards of tourists to lesser known and remote destinations of the State from last two years. Under Har Gaon Ki Kahani, fascinating tales, folklore and anecdotes related to remote villages in Himachal Pradesh are set to lure tourists. This novel scheme aims at developing villages of historic importance as tourism villages by providing basic amenities and will provide tourists a peep into rustic life of the hill State. Himachal Pradesh happens to be First State in the country to link MNREGA with tourism promotion activities. Tourism infrastructure of the selected villages will be developed by roping in local villagers and using funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA). Har Gaon Ki Kahani scheme will generate self-employment and de- congest urban areas. Besides, local people will also get a chance to showcase their cuisine, folk culture and handicrafts. For the implementation of Har Gaon Ki Kahani scheme, a committee has been constituted under the chairperson-ship of Deputy Commissioner which comprises of concerned District Tourism Development Officer, District Language Officer, District Public Relations Officer, District Panchayat Officer and any other member (non-official). Home Stay Scheme launched in the year 2008 is already a grand success and a favorite among the tourists. The scheme focuses on rural tourism to generate employment, income and promote new destinations by exhibiting ancient heritage and culture of the State. Till date, 246 home stay units have been registered in the State with 75 in Kullu, 49 in Kinnaur, 31 in Kangra, 38 in Shimla, 10 in Mandi, 12 in Chamba, 19 in Lahaul-Spiti, six each in Sirmaur and Solan district and about a dozen units are in registration process. 653 rooms are available in these registered units where tourists can experience rustic lifestyle in a homely atmosphere. In the last one year, 5532 Indian and 220 foreign visitors stayed in the registered home stay units in the State according to Tourism Department. Besides providing tourists a peep into the rich rural cultural heritage, traditions and customs, home stay units are providing self employment opportunities to the rural folk. Under this scheme, minimum one and maximum three rooms can be registered as home stay in rural areas where the owner of the house is also residing. There is no luxury and sale tax, no VAT and electricity and water consumption is charged on domestic rates. TOURISM IN THE STUDY AREA 4

5 Thanedar Thanedar located in the beautiful state of Himachal Pradesh, it is the cradle of apple cultivation in India. A pleasing village Thanedar, placed among the beautiful apple orchards in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh state in India, is at an elevation of 7,250 ft and is renowned as the fruit bowl of Himachal Pradesh. Apples dominate this fruit bowl, at Thanedar the sloppy areas can be discerned with apple trees, their greenish branches extended in graceful, delicate blossoms or affluent with prosperous apples. Thanedar was the destination where Samuel Stokes established the first apple seed and the legacy of apples in India began growing. Samuel Stokes is an avatar in Thanedar. Thanedar apples are applied in making most luscious wines, jam and pickles. Thanedhar village have great culture, traditions and natural resources, which makes this place very attractive tourist destination. The one name that is ubiquitous in Thanedhar is Stokes, short for Samuel Evans Stokes, or Satyanand Stokes. His story began in 1904 when the 21-year-old son of an American millionaire landed in India to work at a missionary leprosy home near Shimla. But barely had he settledin when, in April 1905, a devastating earthquake flattened Kangra. The young man quickly jumped in to help in whatever way he could. He was assigned to go from village to village to assess the losses. Though he was entitled to be compensated for his personal expenses, Stokes refused any payment for this arduous work. Sapped of strength, he moved to Kotgarh near Shimla to recuperate, and this is where he found his karma bhumi. He built a house, Harmony Hall at Thanedhar, above Kotgarh, He married a local Pahari girl. He became an Arya Samaji and changed his name to Satyanand Stokes. He fought for India s independence and became a member of the All India Congress Committee. Stokes contribution to the development of this region is still visible today. A walk through the area reveals the economic prosperity of the region. Concrete modern architecture has replaced the traditional wooden houses, but the brier-rose creepers draped around them give the houses their own charm. Walking through the village and the orchards is a lovely, educative experience. Today, apart from apples, farmers here also grow apricots, almonds, cherry, peach, plums, strawberry and raspberry. Narkanda Situated at an attitude of 2708 meters on the Hindustan Tibet road (NH - 22), Narkanda offers a spectacular view of snow ranges. This is an ideal retreat for the tourists who seek seclusion in mountains. It commands an unique view of the eternal snow line, the inviting apple orchards and dense forests. Narkanda is famous for Skiing & Winter sports. During these days the slopes come alive with skiers. The skiing at Narkanda was started in 1980 and since then HPTDC is conducting skiing courses every year. Narkanda is a gateway to apple country of Himachal Pradesh. Access: 65 km. from Shimla, it is connected by Bus/Taxi services. Nearest Railway Station (65 km) and Airport (88 km) are at Shimla. 5

6 Climate: In winter, the temperature can hover around freezing point when heavy woolens are required. During summer, the climate is pleasant and cottons / light woolens are suggested. Narkanda receives heavy snowfall in winters. TYPES OF TOURISM IN STUDY AREA Eco Tourism: It is a responsible type of tourism which preserves natural resources as well as maintaining the well-being and social values of the local people. "Environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and accompanying cultural features, both past and present) that promote conservation, have a low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socioeconomic involvement of local peoples." Most tourism in natural areas today is not ecotourism and is not, therefore, sustainable. Ecotourism is distinguished by its emphasis on conservation, education, traveler responsibility and active community participation. Specifically, ecotourism possesses the following characteristics: Conscientious, low-impact visitor behavior Sensitivity towards, and appreciation of, local cultures and biodiversity Support for local conservation efforts Sustainable benefits to local communities Local participation in decision-making Educational components for both the traveler and local communities Cultural Tourism: Culture tourism is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region's culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those people, their art, architecture, religion(s), and other elements that helped shape their way of life. Culture can be depicted by two concentric circles: Inner circle, which represents the cultural heart, i.e. more traditional or basic elements of culture, understood as what people do or produce as a culture; Outer circle represents the way of life or the style of livening of the population in a particular place. Inner circle represents the main elements of the cultural tourism, which can be divided into two parts, i.e. tourism of the art heritage (cultural assets related to the products of the past) and tourism of the art (related to the contemporary cultural production such as the presentation of the visual rats, modern architecture, literature and others). Outer circle represents the secondary elements of cultural tourism, which can be divided into two categories: the life style (elements such as beliefs, cuisine, traditions, folklore and others) and the creativity sector (fashion, design, web and graphical design, cinema, media and entertainment and others). 6

7 Village Based Tourism: It is a type of tourism in which tourists share in village life and villagers gain economic and other benefits from tourist activities. Both village are itself forms a source of tourist destination. Tourists often come to witness the life style of the people of this village. The traditional way of life right from their traditional attire to their traditional food, forms a delightful destination for tourists. Himachal Pradesh Government has launched a scheme known as Har Gaon Ki Kahani (story of every village), in addition to Home Stay Scheme, which is attracting hoards of tourists to lesser known and remote destinations of the State from last two years. Under Har Gaon Ki Kahani, fascinating tales, folklore and anecdotes related to remote villages in Himachal Pradesh are set to lure tourists. This novel scheme aims at developing villages of historic importance as tourism villages by providing basic amenities and will provide tourists a peep into rustic life of the hill State. Places of Tourist Interest The Church: A Walk all the way down to the valley (4 kms) to a Church built in This church at Kotgarh is one of the oldest churches in India. Tani Jubbar Lake: More of a large pond. A local picnic spot. Famous for Nag Devta temple built along the lake. Parmjyotir Temple: Built in the Pahari style, the temple is 1 Km away from Thanedar. Good for evening leisurely stroll. Saroga Forest Walk: This is a good two hour evening walk exploring the forest around the area (Upto 8 kms). Walk down from Hatu Peak: Hatu Peak (11000 ft asl) is the highest peak in the area and walking downhill from Hatu peak is interesting an hour and a half walk to get acclimatised. Hatu Peak: Hatu Peak (11000 ft asl) is the highest peak in the area. Trekking all the way upto the peak can be an interesting half day trek upto 8 kms oneway. There are several routes that take you to the peak and one can choose them based on level of difficulty preferred. Kacheri (1810m): This place is located 0.5 km from Oddi, and 7 km from Narkanda on NH - 22 and famous for ancient Mahamaya Temple. POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT It will create employment for the rural people and generate income for them. The villagers will able to provide better food and education for their children. They will have an additional source of income along with their agricultural income. Create employment especially for the rural youth. Income level will rise. Generate foreign exchange 7

8 With the rise of income other measure of community like education, health etc will rise. The price of the land will rise. The expenditure on housing will increase. Demand for other goods and services will increase. Improvement in the public services. Generate revenue or the government. Modernization of agriculture and other rural activities. Local small businessman will be benefited. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT The rural people can learn to develop the healthy environment with proper sanitation, roads, electricity, telecommunication etc for better living on one side on other side the tourist can exploit natural resources and have a heavy impact on the environment. Positive Environmental Impact The rural people will learn how to lead healthy and hygienic life from the urban people visitors. Infrastructure development will lead to healthy tourism. The impact of rural environment can improve the state of body and mind. Help in create and maintain the natural park. Learn the importance of preservation of natural resources. They will learn to develop healthy environment with proper sanitation, roads, electricity, telecommunication, etc. They will learn to use modern tools and technology. SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACT Since the income from tourism is much higher than what rural people can earn from agriculture, tourism has been accepted willingly in many rural areas in spite of its negative effects. It is widely recognized that such negative impacts on rural communities have become stronger, and that rural tourism must be modified to give rural people its benefits. Positive Socio-Cultural Impact The rural people will learn the modern culture. They will learn to come out of their traditional values and beliefs. They will adopt different practice of modern society. Since the income from tourism is much higher than what rural people can earn from agriculture and other allied services. 8

9 Education and health of the rural community will improve. Provide higher standard of living or the rural people. Cultural understanding through fairs and festivals. Exchange of cultural beneficial for both. Foreign tourist will bring cultural change faster. Demand for education will increase. Reduce migration of rural people to urban areas. Market for agro products and handicrafts will develop in rural areas farmers and artisans will develop a direct contact with the customers. CHALLENGES IN RURAL TOURISM The major challenges are need to preserve the environment and natural resources, the need for education, proper understanding for both tourists and local people, and the need to generate a democratic movement which helps people at all levels to participate in tourism development. Also they need to focus on occupation training, handicraft promotion, and improvement of both the landscape and the basic infrastructure, to increase the villagers' quality of life by creating a healthy environment. Even today the biggest problem in Himachal remains poor air and rail connectivity and the condition of roads not being too good, except a few national highways. The infrastructure required to promote Himachal as an international destination is missing. The plan to set up an international airport remains confined to papers, while the state capital has had no flights from the Jubbarhatti airport since September The flights from Bhuntar airport in Kullu too have been very erratic. It is only the Gaggal airport in Dharamsala from where flights have been operating on a regular basis. The region has great potential as an upcoming tourist spot. But, in order to bring it to a greater platform, sound business planning has to be made. The region needs proper enhancement of its beauty and resources skillfully to bring itself to light. CONCLUSION Rural tourism can be defined as the country experience which encompasses a wide range of attractions and activities that take place in non-urban areas. The most important purpose of rural tourism development is economic and social development of the rural areas. Rural Himachal has much to offer beyond agriculture. It has a great potentiality for different growing segments of tourism like Ecotourism, Cultural tourism, agro-tourism, religious tourism etc. There is a scope of rural tourism in the study area. Both villages has the resources, man power and a down-to- earth approach that is in sharp contrast with the five star culture of tourism in city areas. Here, rural tourism promotes the local economy, socio-cultural changes and life style of the people residing in and around the village. 9

10 REFERENCES 1. Rural Tourism And Sustaninable Business (Aspects of Tourism) by Derek Hall (Author) 2. Rural Tourism Development: Localism and Cultural Change (Tourism and Cultural Change) Paperback March 18, 2009 by E. Wanda George (Author), Heather Mair (Author), Donald G. Reid (Author) 3. Rural Tourism and Sustainable Business - Derek R. Hall, Irene Kirkpatrick, Morag Mitchell Channel View Publications, 01-Jan New Directions in Rural Tourism- Derek R. Hall, Lesley Roberts, Morag Mitchell Ashgate, Rural Tourism and Development 2005by Yogesh Kumar Sharma (Author) 6. Tourism in Himachal Pradesh by Manoj Jereat (Hardcover ) 7. Guide To Trekking In Himachal Pradesh by Minakshi Chaudhury (Paperback 2008) 8. Temples of Himachal Pradesh(Hard Cover) Publisher: Aditya Prakashan 9. Geography of Himachal Pradesh (Hard Cover) Author : Manoj Jereat Publisher : Indus Publishing Company 10. History,Archaeology and Culture of Himachal Pradesh by Dr. B L Kapoor (Hardcover) 11. Folklore of Himachal Pradesh by M. R. Thakur (Hardcover ) 12. Rural Development Schemes in Himachal Pradesh by Sunil Gupta (Hardcover 2007) 13. Bramwell B. (1994) Rural tourism and sustainable rural tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol. 2, No. 1-2, pp Fotiadis A. (2006) Cultural Interactions in the Rural Tourism. 2nd International Conference Tourism as a Meeting Ground of Cultures, 4-6 September, Siofok. Hungary