New Delhi, Dec 8: The Ministry of Tourism has introduced a comprehensive Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India (STCI) covering three key sectors—tour operators, accommodation providers and tourism activities around beaches, backwaters, lakes and rivers – as part of a broader national push to embed responsible tourism practices across the industry.
Under the guidelines, all tour operators approved by the Ministry must now sign a pledge committing to Safe & Honourable Tourism and Sustainable Tourism. They are expected to follow globally aligned environmental and heritage protection standards to ensure that tourism benefits local communities while safeguarding long-term ecological sustainability.
According to official data, 2,787 accommodation units and 1,633 tourism service providers are currently recognised by the Ministry.
Travel for Life Programme, Training at Ramsar Sites
The Ministry said its National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism has been shared with all States and Union Territories. In line with the strategy, the Travel for Life (TFL) programme was launched to promote sustainable practices among tourists and tourism businesses. No separate budget has been earmarked for the strategy.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 15-day training programmes were conducted during 2023–24 for 210 participants under the Alternate Livelihood Programme (ALP) and the Paryavaran Naavik Certificate (PNC). These sessions, held across five Ramsar sites—including Sultanpur National Park (Haryana), Yashwant Sagar Dam and Sirpur Lake (Madhya Pradesh), Bhitarkanika Mangroves and Chilika Lake (Odisha)—aim to strengthen nature-based tourism and support conservation-linked livelihoods.
Eco-Friendly Measures for Hotels, Swadesh Darshan 2.0
The Ministry reiterated that hotels must integrate eco-friendly systems at the project stage itself, including sewage treatment plants, rainwater harvesting structures, waste management systems, energy-efficient technologies and non-CFC refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment.
The revamped Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme focuses on integrated and sustainable development of tourism destinations in partnership with States, UTs and local bodies. Its sub-scheme, Challenge-Based Destination Development, supports holistic planning aimed at transforming destinations into responsible and sustainability-led tourism hubs.
The information was provided by Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
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