Govt planning to launch two mega tourism trails in Himalaya, Ganga: Minister G Kishan Reddy

The government is planning to launch two mega adventure tourism trails in the Himalaya and the Ganga this year, Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said on Sunday.

Addressing a session at the G20 tourism working group meeting, Reddy said the trails are expected to be launched this year.

"The ministry will work with states and industries for development of two adventure mega trails in 2023 -- the Ganga trail and northwestern Himalayan trails," he said.

A senior official said the government is starting with these two trails but will be launching other trails in future too.

Also Read | Air passenger traffic to further rise in 2023: Union minister Kishan Reddy

"There will be Narmada trail from Amarkantank to Arabian sea, Kaveri river trail, West coast trail from Kutch to Kanyakumari, east coast trail from West Bengal to Kanyakumari," the official said.

The government is giving a major push to adventure tourism and promoting it at the second G20 tourism working group meeting being held in Siliguri and Darjeeling.

Reddy said India's topography provides for an ideal destination for sustainable adventure tourism.

"We have a 7,000-km coastline, 70 per cent of the Himalayas, about 700 kilometres of rivers, sand desert and cold desert in Ladakh...all of which provide opportunities for a variety of adventure activities for both domestic and foreign tourists," Reddy said on Saturday.