Major Adventure and Rural Tourism Schemes in India

India’s tourism policy is moving beyond large circuit-based projects toward destination-centric, community-led models. The focus now includes rural tourism, homestays, border villages, and adventure tourism, with greater emphasis on safety, local livelihoods, and sustainable infrastructure.

Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and Border Tourism

Swadesh Darshan, which began as a theme-based circuit development scheme, has been restructured into Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD 2.0). The new model shifts tourism infrastructure support from multi-state thematic circuits to sustainable, responsible and destination-centric development, while also incorporating local community needs into planning. Under the Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) sub-scheme, the government has identified specific destination categories to improve competitiveness and local participation. Within the Vibrant Village category, five border villages have been designated: Kibitho (Arunachal Pradesh), Rakchham and Chhitkul (Himachal Pradesh), Gnathang Village (Sikkim), and Mana and Jadung (Uttarakhand). The Ministry of Tourism also sanctioned the Rural Tourism Cluster Experience at Gunji in Uttarakhand under Swadesh Darshan with an outlay of ₹32.20 crore. The idea is to strengthen local infrastructure and build tourism around the character of a specific destination rather than a broad circuit alone.

Tribal Homestays under PM-JUGA

Tourism has been linked with tribal livelihood development through the Development of Homestays in Tribal Areas sub-scheme of Swadesh Darshan, launched in FY 2025-26 under the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM-JUGA). The scheme aims to create 1,000 tribal homestays in selected regions. The financial support pattern under this sub-scheme is designed at the household level:

• Up to ₹5 lakh for village community requirements
• Up to ₹5 lakh for construction of two new rooms
• Up to ₹3 lakh for renovation of existing rooms

The Ministry of Tourism approved tribal homestay proposals from Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand and the Union Territory of Ladakh, with a total cost of ₹17.52 crore. The scheme is important for exam purposes because it combines tourism promotion with tribal welfare and local income generation.

National Strategy for Rural Tourism and Homestays

Rural tourism has been given a formal policy framework through two major documents. The National Strategy and Roadmap for the Development of Rural Tourism in India was launched on 8 December 2021, followed by the National Strategy for Promotion of Rural Homestays on 5 May 2022. These strategies rest on three broad pillars:

• Digital enablement – improving online visibility and booking access for rural destinations
• Cluster development – grouping villages to create viable tourism circuits
• Capacity building – training local youth and entrepreneurs in hospitality

The Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) functions as the Central Nodal Agency for coordinating, implementing, and providing technical support for both rural and adventure tourism strategies.

Adventure Tourism Strategy and Safety Framework

The National Strategy for Adventure Tourism seeks to position India as a global outdoor tourism destination. It is built around six pillars:

• State institutional frameworks
• Adventure infrastructure
• Safety standards
• Capacity building
• Site development
• International marketing

To bring greater uniformity in safety practices, the Ministry of Tourism constituted the National Board for Adventure Tourism and circulated a Draft Model Adventure Tourism Safety Law in July 2024. The Indian Adventure Tourism Guidelines further lay down standard operating procedures and risk-mitigation norms for adventure activities. These guidelines cover 29 adventure activities across three domains:

• 15 land-based activities
• 7 air-based activities
• 7 water-based activities

Exam focus: India’s adventure tourism framework now combines safety legislation, standardized guidelines, and institutional coordination under the National Board for Adventure Tourism.

National and International Village Recognitions

Village-level tourism awards are used to encourage better hospitality, community participation, and environmental standards. In the Best Tourism Villages Competition 2024, the Ministry of Tourism recognized 36 villages across 8 categories. The adventure tourism category winners were:

• Dhudmaras – Chhattisgarh
• Aru – Jammu & Kashmir
• Kuthlur – Karnataka
• Jakhol – Uttarakhand

At the international level, UN Tourism conducts the annual Best Tourism Villages awards. In the 2025 global awards, no Indian village was selected. As a result, Pochampally in Telangana and Dhordo in Gujarat remain the only Indian villages to have received this global recognition, in 2021 and 2023 respectively.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• Swadesh Darshan 2.0 emphasizes sustainable and destination-centric tourism instead of broad thematic circuits.
• CBDD under SD 2.0 includes the Vibrant Village category for border tourism development.
• Border villages designated under Vibrant Village include Kibitho, Rakchham, Chhitkul, Gnathang Village, Mana, and Jadung.
• Gunji rural tourism cluster in Uttarakhand was approved with an outlay of ₹32.20 crore.
• PM-JUGA launched the tribal homestay scheme in FY 2025-26 with a target of 1,000 homestays.
• Tribal homestay funding includes up to ₹5 lakh for community needs, ₹5 lakh for two new rooms, and ₹3 lakh for renovation.
• IITTM is the central nodal agency for rural and adventure tourism strategies.
• Rural tourism strategy was launched on 8 December 2021, and the rural homestays strategy on 5 May 2022.
• Adventure tourism safety is guided by the Draft Model Adventure Tourism Safety Law circulated in July 2024.
• Indian Adventure Tourism Guidelines cover 29 activities: 15 land-based, 7 air-based and 7 water-based.
• Best Tourism Villages 2024 adventure category winners were Dhudmaras, Aru, Kuthlur and Jakhol.
• Pochampally and Dhordo are India’s only UN Tourism Best Tourism Villages so far.