NEW DELHI:
Tourism Ministry will announce the establishment of the Medical and Wellness Tourism Board and its functioning on the occasion of World Tourism Day on September 27.
There will now be a focused approach to Medical Tourism and all the information will be made available on a single portal, Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma informed this while interacting on the social media with BBC Hindi here today.
He said that information dissemination will also take place through the 14 overseas offices of the Ministry.
Asked about the tourist safety, Sharma said that the safety of tourists is the uppermost concern of the government.
“In order to ensure safety and security of tourists especially the women tourists, Ministry has set up the ‘Incredible India Helpline’ service,” he explained.
The helpline service is available on toll free number (1800111363) or on a short code 1363 for tourists. At present the helpline is functioning in Hindi and English and soon there will be 12 international languages.
Ministry has set up the Paryatak Police (Tourist Police) with the help of states for the security of tourists.
Sharma said that earlier the tourism sector was not being given its rightful place as a key player in economic growth of the country but government is now laying emphasis on the economic benefits of the tourism sector and is working on increasing the share of India in world tourism as well as increasing the foreign exchange earnings and employment through tourism.
In the Public Speak programme of All India Radio last evening, Sharma warned the travel agents/tour operators/ touts, who are using the logo of Incredible India or name of Ministry of Tourism without permission.
He said the Ministry has initiated action against such tour operators and travel agents for indulging in illegal activity and cheating the foreign and domestic tourists.
“Ministry of Tourism will do everything to curb the touts and to prevent the cheating of tourists,” Sharma added. (PTI)
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