The new face of the Indian tourism industry is "rural' India. After a successful spate of pilgrimage tourism, ecotourism, heritage, beaches and royal retreats, the ministry of tourism and UNDP have identified 36 village sites across 20 states in India as part of its Endogenous Tourism Project launched in 2005. Besides offering an escape from the tentacles of urban life, the Indian villages will now help in marketing rural India to increase national and international tourist traffic.