With an aim to make India more tourist friendly, the nationwide Paryatan Parv was kicked off at Rajpath in the national capital on October 2, 2019. It was jointly inaugurated by Minister of Petroleum, Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of Tourism, Prahalad Patel in the presence of I&B minister Prakash Javadekar. While the Delhi leg of the event will be held till October 6, the parv will continue till October 13.

This year the central theme of the ‘Paryatan Parv’ is dedicated to the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The idea is to spread the message of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ and ‘Tourism for All’ to encourage people to visit the various tourist destinations within the country. The ministers also inaugurated the digital exhibition highlighting ‘Swachhata’ and ‘150 years of Gandhi’. 

According Javadekar, the government is planning to convert 17 tourist sites into world class destinations. He also said that single - use plastics will not be allowed inside the monuments within 100 metres of them. The objective of the parv is also to focus on the benefits of tourism and showcase the diversity of the country. 

As many as 31 theme pavilions of states, 59 food stalls of different states and union territories and 76 crafts bazaar and handloom stalls were set up. The 12 - day long event is open to public. Visitors are required to carry a valid ID proof to enter Rajpath to view the event.