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Glossary Terms
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| RTDC | Rajasthan State Tourism Development Corporation; est. 1979; operates 53 hotels, Palace on Wheels, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels | State tourism enterprise; PYQ stable fact |
| Palace on Wheels | India's first luxury tourist train; launched 1982; RTDC + Indian Railways; 7 nights, 8 destinations | PYQ answer: "First luxury tourist train in India" |
| Heritage Hotel | Hotel in a converted historic property (palace, fort, haveli, hunting lodge); Rajasthan has 100+; India's largest cluster | Heritage tourism infrastructure |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) | UNESCO-inscribed site of Outstanding Universal Value; Rajasthan: 6 Rajput Hill Forts (2013), Jantar Mantar (2010), Jaipur Walled City (2019) | 8 WHS listings anchor foreign tourism |
| Rajput Hill Forts (2013) | 6 forts: Amber, Chittorgarh, Gagron, Jaisalmer, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambhore; UNESCO WHS 2013 | PYQ: "Name UNESCO World Heritage forts of Rajasthan" |
| Jaipur Walled City | UNESCO WHS 2019; India's first planned city on WHS list; built by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1727) | Exam: year + "first planned city" |
| Jantar Mantar | Astronomical observatory, Jaipur; UNESCO WHS 2010; built by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1727); 19 instruments | Separate WHS from forts |
| Paryatan Mitra | Scheme training local youth as certified tourist guides; employment + visitor experience improvement | Government scheme for tourism |
| Rajasthan Tourism Policy 2020 | 10-year policy (2020–2030); heritage hotel conversion, homestay grants, adventure tourism, medical tourism | Policy framework; Film Tourism Policy 2022 sub-component |
| Film Tourism Policy 2022 | 25–30% subsidy for approved film productions in Rajasthan; single-window; 500+ productions 2022-24 | Current affairs; screen tourism effect |
| Seasonality Problem | 70% of tourist footfall in Oct–Mar; summer months severely underperform; key challenge for RTDC | Analytical PYQ component |
| Padharo Mhare Des | Traditional Rajasthani welcome phrase; used as tourism campaign tagline by RTDC | Cultural context |
| Desert National Park | 3,162 sq km, Jaisalmer-Barmer; India's largest NP in mainland India (Hemis NP, Ladakh UT ~4,400 sq km is larger); GIB habitat; eco-tourism anchor | Eco-tourism geography |
| Jawai Leopard Camp | Community-based eco-tourism in Bera (Pali); highest leopard density outside protected areas; global eco-tourism model | Emerging sustainable tourism example |
| Golden Triangle | Delhi–Agra–Jaipur tourism circuit; India's most visited foreign tourist corridor; Jaipur = Rajasthan's gateway | Tourist flow context |
| Ecotourism | Responsible travel to natural areas conserving the environment and improving local community well-being; Jawai Leopard Camp (Pali) is Rajasthan's leading model | Sustainable tourism PYQ |
| Heritage Walk | Guided walking tour through historic urban precincts; Jaipur Walled City and Shekhawati havelies are key Rajasthan examples | Urban tourism + WHS linkage |
| Carrying Capacity | Maximum number of tourists a site can absorb without degrading its cultural, ecological, or social integrity; Amber Fort faces overcrowding issues | Analytical concept; overtourism debates |
| Homestay | Tourist accommodation in a local family's home; promoted under Rajasthan Tourism Policy 2020 with grants; disperses income to rural communities | Community-based tourism policy |
| Tourist Circuit | Planned multi-destination route connecting nearby attractions; examples — Hadoti Circuit, Shekhawati Circuit; ₹450 crore in Budget 2025-26 | Policy + geography integration |
| Responsible Tourism | Tourism that minimises negative impacts on environment and local culture while maximising benefits to host communities; aligns with UNWTO sustainable goals | Essay-level concept; Rajasthan Tourism Policy 2020 |
| Dark Tourism | Visitation to sites associated with tragedy, death, or historical atrocity; Rajasthan examples: battlefield of Haldighati, Nahargarh fort ghost legends | Emerging niche; analytical PYQ potential |
Topic 91 of 138 | Paper II, Unit 3 — Earth Science / Geography | Generated: 2026-04-06