From extraction to attraction: Jharkhand launches new tourism policy

Key areas will be employment, economic growth, sustainable development and preservation of art, culture, and heritage

With its focus being “from extraction to attraction”, the Jharkhand Tourism Policy 2021 brings into the foreground the state’s scenic beauty and its natural wealth, without losing sight of economic opportunities it will create.
 
Launching the policy on Saturday, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said some of the key areas in this would be employment, economic growth, and sustainable development and preservation of art, culture, and heritage.
 
“Jharkhand has been seen as a reservoir of minerals since the time of British rule. It has been a centre for extracting minerals. Yet, the backwardness of the state’s tribal people is no surprise to anyone. We are now shifting our focus from extraction to attraction through this policy,” Soren said.

 

Among other areas touched upon in the new policy are religious, ecological, cultural, rural, adventure, wellness, and mining tourism. It also aims to set up tourism economic zones and a tourism development board, besides strengthening the Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation.
 
Highlighting the scope for eco-tourism, Jharkhand Development Commissioner Arun Kumar Singh said: “People can relax in the forests. Jharkhand has world-class infrastructure, with two airports -- at Dhanbad and Deoghar -- and no safety or security issues.”
 
A key strategy highlighted in the new policy involves conducting public awareness campaigns, particularly among tribal people, organising buyer-seller meetings to market tourism products, and training stakeholders in tourism promotion, marketing and tourism-related services.

 
Investment avenues
 
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the tourism industry are to be encouraged through build-operate-transfer (BOT), build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT), and built-lease-transfer (BLT) modes. Foreign investments and technological collaboration with overseas investors will also be introduced to boost the sector.
 
The government is aiming to encourage Indian and foreign private investment and participation in tourism infrastructure projects. The new tourism policy includes strategic joint ventures with private tour operators for setting up tourist packages and services, upgrading tourist information centres, and conducting a detailed assessment of tourism potential in every district.
 
“Jharkhand is nature’s hidden treasure, an example of culture and sustainable living. Its culture and scenic beauty have a huge untapped potential to attract tourists. These can help the state become a must-visit destination,” Soren said.

 
The state also plans to introduce the Jharkhand Tourism Home Stay Scheme, a bed-and-breakfast scheme of the state’s tourism ministry, on the lines of “Incredible India”.
 
After unveiling of the new policy, a teaser in the promo series ‘Postcards from Jharkhand’, highlighting the beauty and culture of Jharkhand, was also unveiled. The Jharkhand government has produced the series in collaboration with the National Geographic channel.
 
“Jharkhand is nature’s hidden treasure, an example of culture and sustainable living. Its culture and scenic beauty have a huge untapped potential to attract tourists. These can help the state become a must-visit destination,” Soren said.

 
The state also plans to introduce the Jharkhand Tourism Home Stay Scheme, a bed-and-breakfast scheme of the state’s tourism ministry, on the lines of ‘Incredible India’.
 
Improving connectivity
 
The policy proposes to enhance connectivity within the state through road permits to tour operators and aggregators. The state government will persuade the Union railway ministry to expand the railway network in the state.
 
It has offered relief to airlines, assuring that the existing nominal fees/charges to encourage airlines to use state-owned landing facilities will not be increased during this policy period.
 
Benefits offered
 
The government will provide a single-window system and 20-25 per cent capital investment subsidy (up to Rs 10 crore) and a reimbursement of 75 per cent of net goods and services tax paid for five years, to those investing in the state’s tourism sector.

 
Other incentives include not levying holding tax for five years, reimbursing electricity duty and stamp duty, and captive power generating subsidy of 30 per cent up to Rs 5 lakh. The fiscal incentives include an interest subsidy at 50 per cent (up to Rs 20 lakh) for five years.
 
The government will also provide special provisions for women, ex-servicemen, the differently-abled, and people belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
 
Speaking on the benefits offered, Soren said: “We have been watching mineral wealth and mines for long. Even today, many states are shining because of Jharkhand’s mineral wealth, but Jharkhand is still afflicted by various problems. That's why we formulated this policy to accelerate economic development in rural areas.”

 
Talking of the effect of Covid-19 on the tourism industry, he said: “Many people suffered losses during the pandemic, especially those associated with the tourism industry. This new policy will help them.”
 
Singh said: “The unexplored state of Jharkhand, with exclusive availability of uranium, gold, bauxite and coal mines has a huge potential to be tapped and used for the state’s development.”
 
Tourist protection
 
A security force will be set up by involving ex-servicemen. To prevent tourists being exploited by service providers, legislation for facilitating tourism trade has also been enacted.