The name of Dal Lake in Srinagar itself brings in a fresh whiff of air. The beautiful lake with its picturesque surroundings has attracted millions of tourists, a coveted tourist spot for Indians as well as foreigners.
In order to make it more tourist-friendly, the Indian government has decided to develop five villages in the Dal Lake area as tourist villages. The Tourist Villages Development programme under the Mission Youth initiative, which aims at developing 75 villages having distinction in terms of scenic beauty, adventurous terrain, art and culture, history and archaeology, is gaining tremendous momentum with heavy tourist influx thronging the new destinations.
The villages to be covered under the programme are being selected on the basis of their rural tourism potential in consultation with the Tourism Department by an expert committee of Mission Youth, stated Aspire, a monthly newsletter covering government policies and initiatives.