PANAJI: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Goa Regional Office organized a crucial Regional Advisory Committee Meeting on Tuesday, focusing on the promotion of Agri Eco Tourism/ Rural Tourism in Goa. The meeting was chaired by tourism department director Suneel Anchipaka and brought together key stakeholders from various sectors to discuss actionable strategies for enhancing rural tourism in the state.
Other distinguished attendees included Sandeep Dharkar, GM/OIC NABARD Goa RO; Dr Parveen Kumar, Director of ICAR-CCARI; Orlando Rodrigues, Chairman of the Agriculture Committee at the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) along with representatives from State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC), Goa Council of Science and Technology, Department of Tourism, Department of Cooperation, Government of Goa, Goa State Co-operative Bank and Vanarai NGO.
During the meeting, Sandeep Dharkar highlighted NABARD’s initiative in promoting the Gram Vihar scheme to enhance rural hinterland tourism. He articulated the importance of developing pilot models and mobilizing communities to actively participate in tourism initiatives, ensuring that the benefits of tourism reach the grassroots level.
Dr Parveen Kumar in his address mentioned that ICAR-CCARI has developed a model for promotion of Agro-Eco Tourism. He further underlined the importance of preservation of local bio diversity and adoption of eco-friendly approach for promotion of rural tourism models in Goa.
In his keynote address, Suneel Anchipaka emphasized the various initiatives being undertaken by the Department of Tourism to promote hinterland tourism. He stressed the importance of regenerative tourism, ensuring that tourism development not only preserves but enhances the local environment and culture.