Context
In order to increase tourism, Indian Railways announced today the introduction oftheme-based tourist circuit trains Bharat Gaurav Trains to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world.
About
- Under the Scheme, 190 trains are to be operated on lease by private players and state entities such as tourism departments and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
- Individuals to societies, tour operators and even state governments could apply to take these trains and run them on a special circuit based on a theme.
- And the process for applying for such a train is simple: Register online with a one-time fee of Rs 1 lakh.
- The ministry has identified 3,033 coaches for Bharat Gaurav trains.
- Each pair of Bharat Gaurav trains will have 14 to 16 coaches including two guard vans.
Contribution of Tourism sector
- The World Travel and Tourism Council reported that in 2020, the travel & tourism industry’s contribution to the GDP was US$ 121.9 billion and this is expected to reach US$ 512 billion by 2028.
- In India, the industry’s direct contribution to the GDP is expected to record an annual growth rate of 10.35 percent between 2019 and 2028.
- Also, the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 ranked India 34th out of 140 countries overall, showing India’s efforts to improve in the field.
Important Schemes promoting tourism
- National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive or PRASHAD
- Swadesh Darshan
- Buddhist Conclave
- Dekho Apna Desh Initiative
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Similar themed-trains
- Ramayana train circuit: The IRCTC is already running the Ramayana train circuit, which takes passengers to visit important places related to the life of Lord Ram like Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Sitamarhi, in a span of 17 days.
- The Railways is also planning a gurdwara train circuit, which will connect the prominent gurdwaras across the country. These are to be called the Gurukripa trains.
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Similar themed-trains in other countries
- Japan: Japan runs the Pokémon with You train.
- Spain: In Spain, there's the Cervantes Train that departs from Madrid and arrives in the city of Alcalá de Henares, the birthplace of the most famous Spanish writer of all time: Miguel de Cervantes. Even the journey itself is interesting as various actors in 17th-century costume accompany the travellers.
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