Though India’s tourism sector is booming, the government will take several steps to boost the industry including the creation of 150,000 hotel rooms in the next four years, Tourism Minister Renuka Choudhury said here Friday.
In 2004, the tourism sector earned a respectable Rs.55 billion and recorded 3.3 million tourist arrivals. While there was a 27 percent growth in the number of tourist inflow, the growth in terms of revenue was 36 percent.
The tourism ministry now plans to give a fillip to the industry by developing additional infrastructure and through promotional activities.
“The Indian tourism sector is booming but we have enough potential to take it forward. The growth in tourism is definitely encouraging but we have initiated a number of major steps to develop world-class tourism infrastructure in India,” Choudhury said.
“We are focusing on a roadmap to create 150,000 rooms in the next four years and this will also help to accommodate visitors for the Commonwealth Games.
“The tourism ministry in collaboration with the railway ministry has launched a campaign to develop the infrastructure of the railways and to construct economic hotels across the country.
“We have launched a special magazine for railways showcasing our unique culture. It will be available in Shatabdi, Rajdhani and other express trains,” she said.
Among other plans, the ministry plans to develop special Buddhist tourism circuits and to promote medical tourism through easy visa norms.
More: eians.com
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