Tourism boost planned for Union Territories
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India’s government has unveiled plans to drive more tourists to the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
The two former Portuguese enclaves, which are located between the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, have a similar history and heritage as Goa, further down India’s west coast, but attract only a tiny fraction of the tourists.
And the Indian government is now planning to address this, with the release of its ‘Vision 2020’ for Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. The plan was revealed this week by India’s minister of tourism & culture, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik.
“Many States and Union Territories are already well known for their tourism potential, and have also been proactive in promoting their destinations across the nation as well as at international level but there are others that are now trying to make a beginning,” the minister said.
“Both Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli share their rich history with Goa. While Goa is already world-famous as a tourist destination, very few people know that Daman and Diu are also endowed with excellent beaches and rich Portuguese heritage.
“Dadra & Nagar Haveli, on the other hand, has lovely forests, lakes and gardens which make it an enviable destination to spend time with nature. Unfortunately, people of India are still not aware about the tourist attractions in these UTs.
“In this backdrop, the attempt by the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli to promote tourism by establishing a new brand image is highly commendable and welcome step,” he added.
Naik said that the government would now work with the Union Territories administration to help with the “conceiving, designing and publishing its vision”. It added that this plan needs to be “backed by quality infrastructure to make every tourist satisfied with his overall experience”.
Daman and Diu is a 102km² enclave set on the Arabian Sea, bordered by Maharashtra to the south and Gujarat to the north, while Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a 491km² landlocked territory surrounded by Gujarat. Both were incorporated into India in 1961.
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