Leveraging Geospatial Insights for Enhancing Tourism Planning: A Locational Perspective on India’s Tourism Schemes

Abstract. India's tourism landscape has undergone significant transformation over the past two decades, driven by a range of national schemes and missions initiated by the Ministry of Tourism. From the iconic "Incredible India" campaign launched in 2002 to the more recent "Dekho Apna Desh" initiative in 2023, these programs reflect a strategic convergence of policy, technology, and cultural preservation aimed at diversifying and decentralizing the country’s tourism potential. The "State Specific" campaign (2004–2005) emphasized regional branding by promoting unique state-level tourism identities such as “Goa 365 days” and “Discover Karnataka.” Simultaneously, schemes like PRASAD- Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive and Swadesh Darshan (2014– 15) focused on the spatial integration of pilgrimage and thematic circuits, fostering connectivity and infrastructure in culturally significant yet geographically dispersed regions (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, 2002–2024). More than 76 projects across multiple states were sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan, emphasizing regional development. In 2022, the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and STCI indicators- the Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India introduced a locational lens to sustainability by advocating for low-emission zones, circular resource use, and preservation of fragile landscapes. Additionally, initiatives like “HRIDAY”- Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana and “Innovative Approaches” have focused on enhancing heritage towns and exploring niche tourism types—many of which are highly place-specific, such as adventure tourism in the Himalayas or wellness tourism in Kerala (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, 2022a; 2022b). This abstract presents a partial outcome from ongoing research. It includes a comprehensive locational analysis of these schemes, using geospatial technology, highlighting the spatial dynamics, spatial-temporal analysis and visualization of these schemes with a specific emphasis on respective geographical coverage, implementation impact, tourism clusters, mapping and identifying circuit-level connectivity, monitoring infrastructure development, evaluating performance indicators and derivation of future tourism planning potential. This ongoing study reveals an Integrating geospatial insight into tourism policy would enhance visitor experience, supports regional development.