Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a significant venture on Thursday as he will visit Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and unveil a nationwide initiative aimed at gauging the pulse of the country on tourism — the ‘Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice 2024’.
This initiative seeks to engage citizens in identifying the most preferred tourist attractions and understanding perceptions across various tourism categories, including spiritual, cultural & heritage, nature & wildlife, and adventure. In addition to these primary categories, the ‘other’ category will allow participants to vote for their personal favourites, shedding light on hidden tourism treasures such as undiscovered attractions and destinations like vibrant border villages, wellness tourism, wedding tourism, and more.
In collaboration with MyGov, the citizen engagement portal of the Government of India, the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ initiative has been underway for some time, featuring a series of events designed to promote tourism across the nation. One such event was the ‘Paryatan Parv Dekho Apna Desh Photo Competition’, which ran from September 26 to October 20, 2017. Participants were encouraged to share their pictures of Incredible India, with selected photographs being used in the Ministry of Tourism’s award-winning Incredible India campaign. The competition received a total of 1,138 submissions, with 4 approved, and 1,134 under review.
Similarly, the ‘Paryatan Parv – Dekho Apna Desh Video Competition’ and ‘Paryatan Parv – Dekho Apna Desh Blog Competition’ also aimed to showcase the beauty and diversity of India to the world. The video competition, open from October 5 to October 20, 2017, garnered 90 submissions, all under review. Meanwhile, the blog competition, held during the same period, received 237 submissions, with 76 approved and 161 under review.
In previous years, the Ministry of Tourism announced special prizes for participants taking the ‘Dekho Apna Desh Pledge’. This pledge encouraged citizens to explore at least 15 places in India by 2022. So far, more than 256,000 citizens have signed up for this initiative, with the majority coming from Maharashtra, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, and other states.
As per the data, of those who took the pledge, 71.1% were male, 28.4% were female, and 0.4% belonged to the other category. In terms of age, the majority, 83.1%, is from the 20-45 age group, followed by 13.1% from the 10-20 year age group, and 3.7% from the 45-60 year age group.
Another aspect of the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ initiative was launched, wherein citizens were encouraged to design a logo. The ‘Dekho Apna Desh Logo Design Contest’ aimed to develop a distinct brand identity for the campaign. As per MyGov, all 1,926 submissions have been under review.
Most recently, the ‘Dekho Apna Desh Quiz Series’ aimed to promote various tourism destinations across India, including lesser-known facets of popular destinations. The quiz series commenced on August 29, 2020, and concluded on June 24, 2023, receiving overwhelming interest and participation from citizens.
Tourism in India is a thriving industry, attracting millions of visitors every year. From the majestic Himalayas in the north to the serene beaches of Kerala in the south, India offers something for every traveller. It is the land of vibrant culture, historical monuments, and breathtaking landscapes, and also boasts a plethora of hidden gems waiting to be explored. This ongoing series of initiatives, under the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ banner, is expected to elevate the tourism sector to new heights.
Comments
0 comment