MoT to formulate stringent approval norms for tourism development projects

In order to make tourism development projects more environmental-friendly and sustainable, the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), Government of India, will make approval norms more stringent for projects involving central funding. Similarly, sustainability aspects will also be included in the classification norms for hotels and other tourism products in the country. This was informed by Kumari Selja, Union Minister for Tourism while inaugurating the 25th Som Nath Chib Memorial Seminar of Inder Sharma Foundation in New Delhi last week. She said that MoT is ‘sensitive’ to issues related to Sustainable Tourism.

Explaining the stand of MoT on issues related to Sustainable Tourism, Sanjay Kothari, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism said that new classification norms will make ‘vernacular architecture’ mandatory for hotels. “We have asked all state tourism boards to involve professional agencies including School of Architecture and Planning in Master Plan formulation,” added Kothari. He said that there is a provision to use two per cent of the project cost for engaging professional consultants in all centrally funded projects.