Indian tourism has changed drastically with cultural pride, rural upscaling and digital nimbleness. From the humble start of Dekho Apna Desh in 2020 to the rollout of the high-tech Incredible India Digital Platform (IIDP) in 2025, the journey reflects a strategic people-led evolution. Under the leadership of visionary leader Narendra Modi, India looks ahead for its tourism, a 5000-year-old civilization could offer more than any other country, due to negligence of previous governments it could not be made possible. The utilization of cutting-edge technology will revamp DAD to IIDP
Dekho Apna Desh (DAD)
Dekho Apna Desh was introduced in January 2020 to generate tourism and invite citizens to discover India’s diverse society. The campaign was motivated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeal in August 2019, to travel to a minimum of 15 locations by 2022, fostering both cultural attachment and local economies. The Ministry of Tourism facilitated webinars, quizzes, vows, seminars, fam tours, roadshows, social media campaigns and other activities to involve the public. The campaign was bridged by virtual tours, interactive material and tangible outreach to create awareness and excitement for Indian tourism.
One of the biggest highlights of Dekho Apna Desh was People’s Choice 2024 program, initiated on March 7, 2024, where citizens were asked to vote for their most preferred attractions in categories like Spiritual, Cultural & Heritage, Nature & Wildlife, Adventure and Others. It was both an exercise in public participation and to generate handbook for future development of lesser-known tourist places. To redirect tourism towards economic inclusion, the Ministry prioritized rural tourism. In 2023, the Best Tourism Villages Competition highlighted villages that were outstanding in terms of heritage protection, crafts, agritourism, wellness and sustainable development (this is under the initiative of Swadesh Darshan 2.0, PRASHAD and CBDD). These plans indicate a trend toward responsible tourism, as infrastructure development supported by considerable investment is geared to stimulate the growth of smaller towns without impairing cultural or environmental assets.
Incredible India Digital Platform (IIDP) : A digital leap
Sensing the necessity of a contemporary and digital presence, the Ministry introduced the new Incredible India Digital Platform (IIDP) in 2025. As Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat revealed, the platform is a “one-stop-shop for tourists and stakeholders, presenting the country’s diverse cultural heritage, natural splendour and varied attractions.” The feature that IIDP includes are: Real-time AI-driven personalization with real-time weather, city discovery, customized itineraries and hassle-free booking of flights, hotels, cabs, buses and access to ASI monuments. Inter-linking with the NIDHI+ platform, extending credibility to registered service providers ranging from homestays to tour operators.
A vision to captivate the imagination of tourists by showcasing rich culture, heritage, crafts, festivals, cuisine and more of diverse India, covering the entire experience from planning to return. The launch of the IIDP platform by July 2025 had seen about 26 lakh visitors. The trickle-down effects could be witnessed in tourism trends which enable India to saw 294.76 crore domestic tourist visits in 2024, an increase of 17.36% over 2023
Policy stitching Dekho Apna Desh Stitching: Synergies That Count
The strategic coherence is in the way DAD and IIDP supplement one another
•DAD generated interest through narrative, virtual interaction and public involvement.
•IIDP turns interest into transactions through AI personalization, booking facilities and wider digital reach.
IIDP also facilitates tourism programs:
Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (thematic circuits): The Ministry of Tourism has revised the Swadesh Darshan scheme and launched Swadesh Darshan 2.0 with a renewed mission to create sustainable and responsible tourism sites in India. The scheme was redrafted under the guiding leadership of Prime Minister Narendra modi, “Vocal for Local” to associate itself with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat by realizing the full potential of India as a leading tourist destination.
Swadesh Darshan 2.0 is a swift change and overhauling the earlier scheme as an integrated mission that encompasses everything in tourism development, tourism and allied infrastructure for the delivery of services, human resource development, destination management and promotion which is backed by strong policy and institutional reforms.
PRASHAD (pilgrimage heritage): The Government of India introduced the PRASAD scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) in 2014–2015 under the Ministry of Tourism. It deals with development and identification of pilgrimage centres throughout the country for enhancing the religious tourism experience. Through proper integration of pilgrimage sites in a prioritized, organized and sustainable way, the scheme promises to provide an end-to-end and satisfying religious tourism experience. Realizing the importance of pilgrimage tourism in enhancing domestic tourism, the scheme emphasizes the necessity for the government, along with other stakeholders, to facilitate complete development of chosen spiritual sites.
CBDD (innovation projects): The Challenge-Based Destination Development (CBDD) scheme, which is a sub-scheme of Swadesh Darshan 2.0, is a competitive approach to developing tourism destinations with an equal focus on sustainability, digitalization, skill development, support for MSME’s and effective management. The Ministry of Tourism has shortlisted 42 destinations under four overall themes: Culture and Heritage, Spiritual, Eco-Tourism and Amrit Dharohar, Vibrant Villages Program. Out of proposals by State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, as per scheme rules, the Ministry has approved 36 projects till date spread all over the country, including in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
CBSP (training for local women, youth and tribal communities through Paryatan Mitra & Paryatan Didi: On September 27th, World Tourism Day Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, launched a national responsible tourism initiative called ‘Paryatan Mitra’ and ‘Paryatan Didi’. Working according to the Prime Minister’s vision to promote tourism as a social inclusion, employment generation and economic growth driver. Ministry also tested the programme in six tourist spots in the country Orchha (Madhya Pradesh), Gandikota (Andhra Pradesh), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Aizawl (Mizoram), Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and Sri Vijaya Puram (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
The program aims to promote overall visitor satisfaction by linking travellers with ‘tourist-friendly’ people who act as enthusiastic champions and narrators for their place of visit. For this purpose, the Ministry offers tourism-related training and sensitization to all local people who come in contact with or provide service to visitors and are well-equipped to promote their area with information, hospitality and professionalism.
Importance for India: Why It Matters
The significance of these initiatives for India is that, they have the potential to catalyze inclusive economic growth, conservation of culture, sustainable development, international competitiveness and empowerment of communities. By promoting rural and tribal areas with tourism benefits, livelihood is enhanced through leading, homestays and village crafts. While regional heritage was re-emphasized by the Dekho Apna Desh campaign, the Incredible India Digital Platform infuses that heritage with a contemporary, international marketplace. Smarter distribution of tourist flows minimizes congestion in delicate ecosystems and culturally dense locations, maintaining long-term integrity.
With its AI-based products, language accessibility and immersion capabilities, IIDP brings India at par with the world’s best tourism platforms. Through the initiatives such as CBSP, Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi, in the communities particularly women and youth are enabled to become a part and not a bystander. Upcoming innovations will take the tourism experience to the next level, such as Augmented Reality (AR) on-site experiences with historical recreations and layered narratives, blockchain-secured booking and review platforms for transparency leads to integrate with private travel platforms, state tourist boards, multi-language content and direct community bookings. Through these initiatives travellers in cultural tours, craft workshops and homestays are operating without middlemen oy any chaotic situation.
From Dekho Apna Desh inducing cultural interest to the Incredible India Digital Platform facilitating experiential engagement and bookings, India’s tourism industry today rests on foundations of inclusivity, innovation and inspiration.
As Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Rajya Sabha pointed out a “master list” of sites a list that includes DAD-recommended sites will fuel comprehensive development and invite investment, making tourism no longer merely visible but also experientially consumed widely and sustainably. Collectively these efforts are developing tourism from simple travel to a journey of culture, opportunity and development one that connects across villages, valleys and virtual spaces.
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