Zeichen Journal ISSN No: 0932-4747 Archaeological Connotation and Rural Tourism Development: A Study of Rakhigarhi Authors Neha Walia* MBA Student, School of Hotel Management and Tourism, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab- 144411 Dr. Hafizullah Dar Assistant Professor in Tourism and Airlines, School of Hotel Management and Tourism, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab-144411 Abstract This paper endeavours to highlight the prospects of rural tourism development in the village of Rakhigarhi, Haryana. The village shot to eminence with an unprecedented discovery of the biggest archaeological settlement site of the Harappan civilization in its periphery. It made the state of Haryana rise to significance in terms of valuable archaeological sites, and the latest findings and validation of the sites being older than Harappan and Mohenjodaro regions. The government of India has included Rakhigarhi to be developed as an iconic archaeological site, among five others in 2020 budget report. The local community’s involvement and participation in establishing successful rural tourism development has been the most common practice in the past. As community is major stakeholder in the development of tourism, involvement of the local people has proven to be an organic as well as lucrative step to enhance the tourist experience. This study provides a SWOT analysis of the tourism potential of the Rakhigarhi village based on the secondary data. It helps in the understanding of its prospective as a rural tourism generating destination. Keywords: Archaeology; Archaeo-tourism; Local Community; Rakhigarhi; Rural Tourism Introduction The tourism industry is an indispensable source of revenue for almost all the countries of the world. The direct contribution to the gross domestic product of the travel and tourism industry in 2017 amounted to $2.5% (3.2% of total GDP), according to the World Travel and Tourism Council and it is expected to grow to $3.8 trillion (3.6% of total GDP) by 2028 (Uniting Travel, 2020) After India gained independence in 1947, the Indian government’s focus had been primarily on developing the key areas like agriculture, industry, infrastructure, etc. in the rural India. Tourism was not considered as a potential industry and it was progressing at its own pace. It was not on the government’s priority list of economy building activities. Just from last decade or so, tourism has started to receive attention. According to a survey report, Volume 6, Issue 12, 2020 Page No:378 Zeichen Journal ISSN No: 0932-4747 tourism is ranked the second highest revenue generating industry after the oil industry worldwide (Rathore, 2012) Rural Tourism Rural Tourism is a kind of tourism that offers the experience of rural settings, culture and heritage in the rural localities, which in turn brings value to the local community in an economic and social way, and also facilitates a rich exchange of interactions between the tourists and the locals for an enriching experience (Su & Province, 2013). It encapsulates a wide variety of attractions and along with it the activities performed in the agricultural or farmland pastures. Its vital landscapes feature wide-open spaces, minimum to low level of tourism development and a chance for tourists to experience the agricultural and natural settings directly and closely (Irshad, 2010). It goes without saying that rural tourism binds people of different cultures, faiths, backgrounds, languages and lifestyles. It not only generates employment for the local people but also develops social cultural and educational standards. Year 2020 was celebrated as the ‘Year of Tourism and Rural Development’, a theme shared with the World Tourism Day. The UNWTO Recommendations on Tourism and Rural Development aim to support governments at various levels, as well as the private sector and the international community in developing tourism in rural territories in a way that contributes to inclusive, sustainable and resilient development. (UNWTO, 2020) Dimensions of Rural Tourism Rural tourism is a vast field. It has been bifurcated in categories such as Agricultural Tourism, Food Tourism, Cultural tourism and Ethno Tourism. Agricultural Tourism incorporates visits to farms for the purposes of on-site retail purchases, enjoyment, and education (Veeck, Che, & Veeck, 2010). It focuses on expansion of agricultural industry and to know about how the farmers work in the fields, as well as how the food reaches on the table from the farm. For instance, if a person goes into a field and has sugarcane, this kind of experience very unique and organic and cannot be experienced in the urban areas. Similarly, the food tourism emphasizes on bringing the local food and delicacies on the main menu. A popular example would be of Sarson ka Saag, a popular dish of Punjab. The restaurants in the Punjab region emphasize on including it in their restaurant menu to make people aware of their culinary cuisine. On the other hand, Cultural Tourism constitutes of travelling of tourists to experience a host country’s culture and its cultural materials like art, museums and festivals (Reisinger, 2011). It allows the tourist to be immersed in the local culture related activities like the festivals and rituals. Furthermore, we have Ethno-tourism, which is Volume 6, Issue 12, 2020 Page No:379 Zeichen Journal ISSN No: 0932-4747 explained as an excursion of the tourists that focus on the creation of man rather than the natural creation (Bolnick, 2003). For instance, the ethnic culture of the Maasai tribe of Kenya and Tanzania attract tourists from around the world for their unique culture and traditions (Giblin, 2018). Tourists are particularly attracted to the rituals, festivals and traditions of a region that are created by its local people, and by visiting them, they get to be a part of their traditions. It also concerns with expanding the horizons and to know more about a culture. Tourism is recognized as one of the largest industries in the world. It provides a ground for cultural exchange and enhances the tolerance and the mutual respect amongst the others’ culture and promotes international friendship (Rezvani, 2004). It contributes to employment generation, enhances income and enables the fair distribution from the economic perspective. It helps to create and build the infrastructure, superstructure, and maintain the facilities and services which improve the life of the local people. It also helps in the resurgence of the cultural and historical traditions. Case in point The Village of Rakhigarhi is situated in the district of Hisar, in the state of Haryana, India. It is approximately 170 kilometres away from the capital metropolitan New Delhi. It has become one of the most prominent and largest archaeological sites of the Indus Valley civilization. The village rose to eminence with government of India mentioning it in the budget report to develop it, amongst five archaeological sites, as an iconic site (Amitabh Kant, 2020). Needless to say that while developing it as an iconic site, the tourism activities in the area will have to be accelerated as well. Research Questions The thought of rural tourism is gentle in nature. It can be categorized as a kind of sustainable tourism that uses the resources in the rural areas, have negligible negative effects and bring increasing profits to the rural landscape in the areas of culture and environment, and adding value to the traditional ideas as well as modern times (Haldar, 2007). This study purpose is revolving around the following research questions: What is the potential of rural tourism development in the village of Rakhigarhi? What are the pros and cons of introducing rural tourism in an archaeological site? How to involve the local community of Rakhigarhi in rural tourism activities? Volume 6, Issue 12, 2020 Page No:380 Zeichen Journal ISSN No: 0932-4747 Review of Literature Rural tourism concerns itself with showcasing the rural lifestyle and actively propagating it. Over the years it has been increasingly seen that the villagers have been welcoming the visitors and gracing them with their hospitable nature (Yang, 2012). With growing responsibilities and pressure at the workplace, there has been an increasing need to unwind, re-energize and rejuvenate for the urban population to work efficiently and keep their mind clutter-free. Therefore, over the last ten years, a surge of rural tourism activities have been noticed in this sector and is making this form of tourism not only a great business hope but also a vacation drift. A lot has been researched on rural tourism by many scholars and industry pundits. Wang & Lalrinawma (2016) conducted a research to explore sustainable ways of developing tourism in the rural areas. It was conducted on secondary data – a case study on sustainability debate, environmental threats to tourism in India. It was concluded that eradicating poverty and supporting sustainable production and consumption will be a mammoth task; however, it will be highly appreciated and welcomed by the tourism industry stakeholders. Verma & Jain (2018), their purpose of study was to ascertain the emergence of awareness, opportunities, sustainability in rural tourism. The study was conducted as a primary research and 200 questionnaires were formulated on a five-point Likert scale to find out the scope of rural tourism amongst the respondents. It was therefore concluded that the respondents were willing to experience rural tourism. Hence proving the research question is as accurate. Zielinski, Kim, Milanes, & Jeong (2020), their intent of this study was to identify the main conditions that explain the differences between the developing of community based tourism in the developed countries with that of the developing countries. The findings were based on 103 case studies collected from specific locations, and were then examined on the basis of seven sections. The paper also attempted to inspect the usage of the idea of community based tourism and rural tourism and the different conditions in the developed and developing nations.