UNITY MALLS - GOVERNMENT SCHEME
News: Budget
2023 | Tourism to go into mission mode
What's in the news?
● Up to 50 new tourist
destinations will be developed; an
information-driven app will be created for tourists; and ‘’Unity Malls” will be
set up in State capitals to showcase handicrafts and products with geographical
indication (GI) status.
Key takeaways:
● These
are among the slew of measures announced in the Union Budget for promotion of
tourism that will go into “mission
mode”, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, as she presented the
Budget in Parliament on February 1.
Mobile app for tourism:
● The
mobile app will provide tourist-friendly
information like physical and virtual connectivity, and details on tourist
guides, amongst other guidance.
● A
high standard of street food would be ensured, to enhance the tourist
experience.
Scheme for skilling:
● The
Budget also incentivized domestic tourism for the middle class, announcing sector-specific skilling and
entrepreneurship development to achieve the objectives of the Dekho Apna Desh initiative.
● The
scheme was launched as an appeal to the middle class to pick domestic
destinations over international ones.
Vibrant Villages Programme:
● The
Vibrant Villages Programme, tourism infrastructure and amenities will be
facilitated in border villages.
Unity Malls:
● The
states will be encouraged to set up a Unity Mall in their state capitals, or the most prominent tourism centre or the financial
capital.
● Functions:
○ These
malls would work towards the promotion
and sale of each State’s own ODOP (one district, one product) and other
handicrafts.
○ They
would also provide space for such products of all other States.
○ It
will showcase handicrafts and products with GI status.