The Members of Consultative
Committee on Tourism have expressed serious concern over tourism
trends of issuing advisories by various countries in recent past.
They said election in Gujarat, violence threat during Pushkar
Mela and now possible threat perceptions at Goa during Carnival
season cannot be sound reason for issuing such advisories. Members
requested the Government to take up this matter with foreign governments
immediately. Responding to the concern of the members concern,
Shri Jagmohan, Minister of Tourism and Culture, agreed that these
advisories not only affect Indian tourism but also indirectly
help terrorists to achieve their objective to create atmosphere
of terror. He said Government is taking up this matter with various
tourism boards/authorities through Government of India’s mission.
He informed the members that tourist arrival has started picking
up and it has recorded more than 16% growth during November, 2002.
Shri Jagmohan
said that Tourism Ministry is planning to open up tourism offices
in Beijing, Jakarta, Bangkok and Kualalampur to tap vast tourism
markets of South-East Asia. Recently launched direct flight from
Colombo to Gaya and Bangkok to Gaya will certainly attract more
tourists to the Buddhist circuit. Making a presentation on restoration
work at Lal Quila, Minister informed that very soon underground
passege, closed for last fifty years, leading to backside of the
Lal Quila will be opened for the public. Entire three lakh square
feet wall area of Red Fort has been cleaned and chemically treated,
new parks are being laid out, missing inlays work is being put
back and number of other repair work is being taken up at war
footing to restore the grandeur of the monument. Members appreciated
the presentation and requested to take up similar plan for other
monuments in various parts in the country.
Apprising the
members of human resource development programme of Tourism Ministry,
the Minister said the Ministry has started short duration programmes
to train the persons working at roadside dhaba and small hotels
on the spot. Ministries, hotel management and Travel and Tourism
Institutes have started programmes to familiarise immigration
officials, police officers and taxi drivers about the needs of
tourists. Such courses have successfully organised at Mumbai.
The Ministry will soon set up new hotel management institutes
at Uttaranchal, Jharkhand and Kurukshetra (Haryana).
