ASI & Ministry of Tourism partner to drive heritage tourism growth
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The promotions are undertaken through several initiatives such as organising tourism promotional events in association with tourism stakeholders, digital promotion through social media handles in collaboration with social media influencers and showcasing the tourism destinations and products through the Incredible India Digital portal.
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, recently highlighted the strategic management of India’s 3,688 centrally protected monuments as a cornerstone of the nation’s tourism product. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, the Minister underscored the dual-pronged approach of conservation and promotion currently fuelling heritage tourism growth.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) undertakes conservation of these Monuments and sites as per the National Conservation Policy. Beyond preservation, the ASI is actively enhancing the commercial value of these assets by developing essential visitor infrastructure, including pathways, signage, and site museums. These efforts aim to transform even lesser-known monuments into viable tourism destinations through regular condition assessments and prioritised resource allocation.
Further, Ministry of Tourism promotes tourism destination and products of the country, in a holistic manner, including cultural and heritage tourism and lesser-known destinations. The promotions are undertaken through several initiatives such as organising tourism promotional events, held in association with tourism stakeholders, digital promotion through social media handles in collaboration with social media influencers and showcasing the tourism destinations and products through the Incredible India Digital portal. Additionally, several stakeholder engagements are regionally organised by the India Tourism offices, to promote and raise awareness about these destinations, under the Dekho Apna Desh initiative.
The 3688 sites are regularly inspected by the technical staff of ASI and the conservation, maintenance and development works are planned and executed based on the condition, priority and requirement of the monuments subject to the availability of resources.
