HYDERABAD: The state tourism department is said to be keen on partnering with ‘Bharat Gaurav Trains’, a theme-based tourist circuit trains, introduced by Indian Railways.
The ministry of railways initiated Bharat Gaurav Trains, keeping in view the huge demand for tourism and the proximity of most of the sites of tourism to rail connectivity, in partnership with private tour operators. The initiation was taken in the month of December and the railways invited government agencies and private parties to collaborate in this module as the pandemic hit the tourism sector badly, according to the SCR authorities. “The response is better from the private parties,” they said.
In December 2021, stakeholders from the tourism sector were invited and were explained the modalities and feasibilities of the project in a meeting attended by Telangana Tourism Development Corporation, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and Travel Agents Association of India.
A senior official from Telangana Tourism Development Corporation said, “This is a very good initiative by the railways to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people of India. Basically, this module is meant for a bigger quantity of tourists, as each train will consist of 10 to 14 coaches. In each coach, there will be 70 passengers, that means for each trip at least 600 to 700 tourists can travel. That needs more supportive infrastructure.”
“Because of the prevailing pandemic condition, the tourism industry is suffering. Once the pandemic situation is over, this module will be very successful,” he added.
