Community-Based Rural Tourism In Gujarat And Maharashtra Shines Bright Thanks To This Social Entrepreneur

Grassroutes | Established in 2006, the travel company Grassroutes has pioneered a community-based rural tourism model that empowers marginalised communities to own, run and manage tourism initiatives. Founder Inir Pinheiro came up with the idea after seeing how commercial tourism created a market for outsiders to come in and take control of the tourism supply chain in a particular area, such as accommodation, food stalls, tours, etc.“Commercial tourism has been a respite to a country like India. It has so much to offer owing to the physical, cultural and ethnic diversity,” he says. “While commercial tourism creates a market for the locals in a particular region, it is the outsiders who end up taking control—[they] set up a motel, resort, kiosk, food stall, etc, while the locals are left to do the menial jobs. That's where Grassroutes and its community-based model steps in. We ensure the tourism initiatives are owned, run and managed by the village community.”Since its founding, the company has won numerous awards for its work, including a national honour from the government of India. A day trip will starts at INR 1,800 per person, while an overnight stay costs INR 2,500 per person. Apart from customised and predesigned itineraries, Grassroutes also facilitates behavioural, functional and experiential learning, and training programs for students and professionals with the goal of helping businesses and institutions understand rural India better.Outlook Traveller spoke to Inir Pinheiro about the rise of responsible tourism in India, the missteps and mistakes made, and how communities benefit from the tours he provides. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.Why did you set up Grassroutes?Grassroutes was set up to create non-farm-based livelihood interventions in rural India. Through our work, we have been enabling otherwise overlooked marginalised communities to access sustainable livelihoods at their doorsteps. We believe diversifying income sources reduces vulnerability to crop failures, market fluctuations and adverse weather conditions. It can help reduce unemployment, decrease rural-urban migration, and can help empower women and marginalised groups.What experiences do you provide to your guests?We provide authentic rural immersion with local communities. While there are predesigned itineraries, we also offer curated tours. Apart from tourism, we also facilitate behavioural, functional, and experiential learning and training programs for students and professionals. The goal is to help businesses, institutions and their people understand rural India better.Where do you operate and how many communities do you work with?We currently work in two states, Gujarat and Maharashtra, with five villages. We work with Hindu Mahadeo Kolis of Maharashtra, and the Warli tribes in Maharashtra and Gujarat. In the past we have also worked with the Gond tribe in Madhya Pradesh and communities across Andhra Pradesh.What values are most important to you as a travel company?Creating sustainable community-centred experiential platforms that help bridge the gap between rural and urban India.Why should travellers who care about sustainability and responsible tourism principles choose a holiday with your organisation?We pioneer community-based rural tourism that empowers marginalised communities to own, run and manage tourism initiatives. Our model ensures authentic rural immersion while directly benefiting local communities, promoting sustainable livelihoods, and reducing rural-urban migration. By travelling with us, you contribute to empowering women, diversifying income sources and preserving cultural heritage, making your journey impactful and meaningful.How do the communities you work with benefit from the arrangement?We have a holistic approach to setting up community-based rural tourism. Our tours are community-run, owned and managed, making the experience truly authentic. Our interventions are contextual to the needs of the local communities, from setting up tourism initiatives to ensuring the financial viability and sustainability of our livelihood projects. We work with Gram Panchayats and a village tourism committee is formed to ensure maximum involvement from all local households. We partner with local NGOs to enable better community mobilisation. We spend a considerable amount of time, ranging from six months to a year, interacting and training the communities in hospitality and client facilitation. “Dummy tours” are conducted to help the community get hold of their newly honed skills. Once the training sessions are completed, we promote these villages to draw tourist traffic.What mistakes or missteps have you made as a travel organisation and what did you learn from them?The expectation management of tourists was a lesson we learned the hard way. Rural tourism in India often means a cute cottage in a village or rural setting, and that is the common expectation of people coming in. But as an organisation that is trying to offer 100 per cent authentic experiences with local communities, we had to set up a robust expectation-setting process in place for every query that came our way. This included sharing pictures of the accommodation, experience, location, and a long list of dos and don'ts.What have guests said about their experiences while travelling with your company? Has any comment or feedback stayed with you?Among the best feedback we have received over the years, the most memorable are those where parents share how their children have become more sensitive to the environment and the people around them.What's the future for responsible and sustainable tourism in India?Indian travellers are becoming aware of the environmental impact of traditional tourism practices and are seeking ways to minimise their footprint. Rural tourism offers immersive, authentic cultural experiences that resonate with travellers seeking more than conventional sightseeing. At Grassroutes, we also focus on bridging the urban-rural gap by providing authentic immersion with local communities. What's next for Grassroutes?We are currently in the process of diversifying into empowering microentrepreneurs across rural India. This is in line with our goal of creating non-farm-based sustainable livelihoods. While tourism was the first step in the process, we are now moving forward as a livelihoods organisation.Slow Travel In Gujarat Gets A New Meaning, Thanks To This Wildlife Biologist