Introduction

The Swadesh Darshan Scheme was launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations in the country. The Ministry had sanctioned 76 projects under the Scheme to date. With the mantra of ‘vocal for local’, the revamped scheme namely Swadesh Darshan 2.0 seeks to attain “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” by realizing India’s full potential as a tourism destination. Swadesh Darshan 2.0 is not an incremental change but a generational shift to evolve Swadesh Darshan Scheme as a holistic mission to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations covering tourism and allied infrastructure, tourism services, human capital development, destination management and promotion backed by policy and institutional reforms. The current scheme envisages development of sustainable and responsible tourist destinations in the country by adopting the Destination Centric Approach.

Ministry of Tourism, subsequent to the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee’s approval vide its letter dated 04.01.2023 provided the In-Principal Approval of Hampi to be developed under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 Scheme.

The Vision for Hampi

The vision aims to create a holistic tourism experience that fosters immersive and transformative experiences of the tangible and intangible heritage that Hampi has to offer through effective interventions that considers principles of sustainable tourism such as sustainable management, stakeholder engagement, cultural sustainability, socioeconomic sustainability, wellbeing of residents and environmental sustainability in a localized and contextually sensitive manner.

The destination has to offer by capitalizing these assets to help provide a wide range of activities that can cater to the unique interests and preferences of travelers. By strategically integrating various sectors such as cultural, natural, adventure and heritage tourism, the ultimate goal is to create a network of sectoral destinations that inspire exploration, create lasting memories and contribute to the long-term well-being and satisfaction of visitors and the local inhabitants of Hampi.

The Main objective of the vision consists of the following:

(i) To enhance the contribution of tourism to the local economies

(ii) To create jobs including self-employment for local communities

(iii) To enhance the skills of local youth in tourism and hospitality

(iv) To increase private sector investment in tourism and hospitality

(v) To preserve and enhance the local cultural and natural resources

Self-Sustaining Clusters and experience zones:

The vision seeks to enhance the key assets of Hampi considering its current significance as a prominent tourist destination while also enhancing other potential segments that can overall offer a unique time-travelling experience to visitors. The key 3 assets considered here include: Archeology & Heritage, Natural landscape and Rural living

Heritage district considers Hampi as an Anchor to which the major transit nodes and secondary attractions are linked which can be further enhanced through initiatives envisioned in the ‘Let’s Connect Hampi’ and ‘Legible Hampi’ move. The potential of good linkages with various urban nodes can be further complimented through initiatives taken in ‘Legible Hampi’ which aim to enhance visibility and try to ensure conservation and retention of Hampi’s core values and assets.

Ecology District for Hampi includes the development of a robust hospitality eco-system that caters to the diverse needs and preferences of every class of society. This intervention is mainly centered at Daroji where appropriate interventions have been envisioned that cover nature based activities, luxury eco-resorts and are hubs of vernacular lifestyle.

Vernacular Living in hampi is on demand as the large percentage of population engaged in rural activities in Hampi and nearby regions, Rural/Agritourism could be used to supplement the experience of the travel to Hampi and make it more engaging and compelling via local people’s participation can be considered in different segments and regions such as Anegundi, Sanapura and Venkatapura can be considered which are agri-focused regions and could lead to more community empowerment through tourism.

“Transcending Time in Hampi”

Destination Management Committee – Hampi