NEW DELHI, Sept 18: President Pranab Mukherjee today stressed the need for building a high quality tourism infrastructure to help increase tourism inflow in the country.
After presenting National Tourism Awards, the President said, ”With the growth of the Indian economy and the increase in disposable income of the people, we may expect tourist inflows to remain on a positive trajectory in the years to come. We must pay focussed attention to the building of a high quality tourism infrastructure in the country.
”The launch of two initiatives -Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) – aiming at integrated development of circuits and pilgrim centres would go a long way in achieving this objective.”
Addressing the function, where Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma was the guest of honour, the President also stressed the need to create adequate safety mechanisms to reassure tourists in the country.
”The safety mechanisms that we create, the precautions that we put in place must reassure our guests – so that they never have to be apprehensive about their personal safety or that of their belongings,” the President said.
In this context, he lauded the initiative taken by the Tourism Ministry to launch a 24×7 Incredible India Helpline to provide the tourists valuable information and to guide them during emergencies. ”The Ministry of Tourism has taken the initiative to address the safety concerns of the tourists by launching 24×7 Incredible India Helpline to provide the tourists valuable information and to guide them during emergencies. The Welcome Booklet being distributed at immigration counters containing information on Dos and Don’ts for tourists would also be a helpful aid for foreign tourists immediately on their arrival,” the President said.
Noting that inconsistent sanitation standards would have a negative impact on tourism in the country, the President said the Tourism Ministry’s Swachh Bharat-Swachh Parayatan campaign to promote cleanliness and hygiene at tourist destinations is a welcome step in the right direction. ”Inconsistent sanitation standards would have a negative impact. This would be unfortunate especially at a time when our tourism industry is projecting the unique beauty of our cultural sites, the scenic splendour of our adventure destinations and the richness of our architectural heritage.
The Ministry of Tourism’s Swachh Bharat-Swachh Parayatan campaign to promote cleanliness and hygiene at tourist destinations is a welcome step in the right direction. It calls for all stakeholders to work together to achieve this goal in all aspects of the India experience.
”I would also stress that it is essential for the Tourism Ministry to take the lead and set the highest standards in this regard. It is equally important to develop systems for effective monitoring to ensure that these standards are maintained by establishments across the board,” the President said. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
