Wednesday, December 22 2004 11:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: After witnessing successive setbacks on various counts like SARS or adverse travel advisories issued by the US and a number of countries, the tourism sector is witnessing a boom both in domestic as well as inflows of foreign tourists.

With robust economic growth and ongoing peace talks between India and Pakistan, the foreign tourist arrivals almost touched the three million mark during the year, which saw emergence of a healthy trend in the domestic sector as well.

"India is the natural destination for the world today," an upbeat Tourism Minister Renuka Chowdhury says.

During the year, the country saw a record number of 29,83,453 foreign tourist arrivals in the country till November this year, registering a growth of 24 per cent over the previous year and the Government proposed several new initiatives to strengthen the "Incredible India" overseas.

Medical Tourism

Brimming with new ideas, Chowdhury says that several initiatives have been launched in the sphere of Medical Tourism in partnership with the private sector to make India emerge as a major global hub.

A joint task force comprising Tourism and Health Ministries along with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has been set up to tap this market, which has a huge potential, she says.

The Government is also contemplating offering a package to foreign tourists, keen on medical tourism, by dovetailing allopathic with alternative medicines.

Infrastructure facilities

Efforts to modernise Delhi and Mumbai airports as also upgrade facilities at 22 non-metro airports in the next two years and upgrade infrastructure facilities at Buddhist circuit in six States is expected to attract more tourists.

With a view to increasing India's share in the growing business of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) segment, it has been decided to support the setting up of large convention centres with exhibition facilities in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore and small convention facilities in Goa and Jaipur.

Visa on Arrival scheme

Laying emphasis on quality of tourism rather than the number of tourists visiting the country, Chowdhury says that the Visa on Arrival, a long pending proposal, was only a facilitator and not a crucial factor to attract foreign tourists.

"My Ministry has asked the Home Ministry to look into the issue. When Sri Lanka with its school of terrorism gives Visa on Arrival, why not India? At the same time, there is no Visa on Arrival in China but it witnesses a booming tourist inflow. Visa on Arrival is not a crucial issue but only a facilitator," she says.

Strongly pitching for bringing tourism in the concurrent list of the Constitution, Chowdhury says that the issue is being examined in consultation with the State Governments in order to give a new impetus to the development of this sector.

'Athithi Devo Bhava'

The Ministry is contemplating launching a strong campaign "Athithi Devo Bhava" (Guest is like God) in order to boost domestic tourism which has a multiplier effect on the employment potential with the growth of various facets of tourism like travel components and infrastructure development.

The infrastructure upgradation of Buddhist circuit in six States has been started in a big way to attract more tourists.

The Ministry has identified 31 tourism hotspots in various States to develop as rural tourism hubs so as to help rural poor to get employment through various tourism related projects.

'Night Bazaars'

During the year, the Ministry has evolved a concept of "Night Bazaars" as an attempt to provide a unique shopping experience as well as to preserve and nourish the traditional art and cultural forms of the country. The Hauz Khas area in Delhi has been selected for the first Night Bazaar project.

Security arrangements for tourists

In a bid to beef up security arrangements for foreign tourists, the Government has asked the State Governments to deploy tourist police at all important tourist destinations to check crimes against tourists.

In a novel arrangement, the Tourism Ministry also plans to train taxi drivers operating at the airports and urged the Airports Authority of India to tie up with State Governments for operation of radio taxis to airports in order to ensure the safety of passengers.