Progress on Accessible Tourism in India

Physically challenged and elderly persons might soon find it easier to access tourist destinations in India as the Government intends to make them barrier-free for the benefit of this section of tourists.

The Indian Tourism Ministry has made it mandatory that all tourist facilities, which are being created with Central Government financial assistance, should be barrier-free, the tourism secretary, Mr Shilabhadra Banerjee, said on 24 October at a Training Workshop for Government managers and engineers.

The ministry believes that physically challenged and older persons are becoming a growing group of consumers of travel, sports and other leisure oriented products and services.

To tap the potential of this group for promotion of tourism destinations in the country, the ministry has therefore taken this initiative to make tourist destinations barrier-free.

As a part of its efforts, the ministry organised a workshop for engineers of state tourism corporations, Indian Tourism Development Corporation and officials of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to sensitise them about the special needs of the physically challenged and elderly.

Inaugurating the workshop, Mr Banerjee said it makes sense to provide special facilities for the physically challenged persons because this group is now willing to travel to different tourist destinations which provide accessibility and also has surplus funds to spend.

“Moreover, the accessible environment created for disabled persons are also used by people with limited mobility and the elderly,” he said. The workshop was followed by a site visit to Qutab Complex, which has been made barrier free by ASI.