Encouraged by the response to its rural tourism project, the Government has identified 14 more village sites which would be opened for foreign tourists in the near future. Spread over six states, these new sites would add to the 15 model villages that already exist and are attracting an impressive number of tourists. The Tourism Ministry had launched its ambitious rural tourism project last year in a bid to bring the benefits of a tourist destination to far-flung and under developed areas of the country. The idea was to showcase India's arts and crafts in its natural setting and promote sustainable tourism. Traditional accommodation and food were to be the major attractions while ensuring clean sanitation facilities and convenient communication linkages with urban centres. Accordingly, the ministry had spent Rs 50 lakh in each site for setting up the necessary physical infrastructure while another Rs 20 lakh was used for training and sensitisation of local population. Employment generation and infrastructure development were necessary byproducts of this project.