NEW DELHI-
It's the simple life–without Paris and Nicole.
Authorities in India are hoping the idea of a stay in a rural village will appeal to tourists.
Working with the United Nations Development Program, India's tourism ministry has identified 36 villages across 20 states in the country where visitors can enjoy life's simple pleasures in a rural setting, The Asian Age reported.
The plan to promote rural tourism would create jobs in the villages and encourage villagers to clean up their surroundings. It is also expected to give a boost to handmade crafts and traditional art forms, the daily said.
The rural India tourism promotion plan is already being implemented in the eastern state of Bihar, where women in four villages are being trained to act as tourist guides and to host visitors at their homes.
Although the villages have piped water and electricity, most people live as they have for generations, growing crops and raising poultry.
The plan also includes a program under which high school and college students from cities and towns could spend some days in a village, exposing them to the lifestyles and culture of rural India.
Common pursuits of the villagers, such as fishing, gardening or weaving cloth, would be additional attractions for visitors.
