Varanasi: A storytelling session on the theme ‘Sant Parampara’ was jointly held by the Union ministry of tourism, Varanasi office; INTACH Varanasi Chapter, Tourist Guide Association and Sant Atulanand Residential Academy on Tuesday at Sant Atulanand Residential Academy, Holapur in the city.During the event, members of the Yuva Tourism Club and stakeholders associated with the tourism sector were introduced to Kashi’s rich sant tradition, spiritual heritage and cultural legacy.Eminent speaker Vyomesh Shukla conducted an engaging session on the sant tradition and the literary legacy of Goswami Tulsidas. Umesh Kabir spoke on the ideology, life philosophy and teachings of Sant Kabirdas.Joint director general and regional director (North), Ministry of Tourism, Arun Srivastava; convener, INTACH Varanasi Chapter, Ashok Kapoor; director and principal, Sant Atulanand Residential Academy, Divya Singh; and representatives of various tourism-related organisations and institutions attended the event.Speakers said that Varanasi has emerged as a distinctive tourism destination in India and has strong potential to establish itself as a global tourism hub. They highlighted the city’s spiritual and cultural heritage, living traditions, historic monuments, ghats, culinary traditions and experiential tourism offerings as its key strengths.They said that continued focus on infrastructure, tourist facilities, connectivity, branding, promotion and quality tourism products can further strengthen Varanasi’s position as a global destination.The programme also underlined the need for greater community participation and capacity building in the next phase of tourism development.Speakers said that hoteliers, tour operators, tourist guides, tourism facilitators, service providers and local residents play an important role in improving visitor experience and ensuring that tourism benefits reach the local community.They stressed the importance of targeted capacity-building programmes in tourism education, skill development, service quality, digital literacy and use of modern technology. Such initiatives, they said, would help local stakeholders meet changing tourist expectations and provide better services.The session aimed to promote tourism awareness, improve service standards among local tourism professionals and service providers, and present Kashi’s sant tradition and cultural heritage on a wider tourism platform.Officials said the Ministry of Tourism, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is focusing on developing globally competitive tourism destinations across the country through a comprehensive approach covering infrastructure, hospitality, service delivery, digital engagement, safety and visitor experience.They added that capacity building of local stakeholders, deeper understanding of cultural heritage and active community participation are key to developing Varanasi as an inclusive, resilient and world-class tourism destination.
