Ministry backs tourism development with more funding
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The Ministry of Tourism has decided to expand the Large Revenue Generating (LRG) scheme for hospitality projects with higher financial outlays and inclusion of more tourism products. This was announced yesterday by R H Khwaja, Secretary of Tourism, at a FICCI conclave on ‘How to Take Tourism to the Next Trajectory’.The decision is in line with the report of the Working Group on Tourism for the 11th Plan. The report had recommended that the LRG needs to be broad based with higher outlays. The suggestion was made to ensure that the tourism sector in India attracts private sector participation in projects such as cruise terminals, cruises in Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, skiing villages, private trains and golf courses.The Ministry has set a target of attracting eight million foreign tourists to India by 2015 from the current level of about six million and expects 800 million people to travel within India in the next five years from about 650 million now.
Khwaja said that in order to give an impetus to the development of tourism infrastructure, the Tourism Ministry is making efforts to accord infrastructure status to the sector. It also proposes to develop more rural tourism sites and ensure integrated development of tourism. He said the Ministry will make a detailed presentation to the Prime Minister in May this year in a bid to ensure that tourism development takes place in a coordinated manner with the involvement of all the concerned ministries. The Tourism Secretary said that States have been advised to set up monitoring committees manned by senior officials of the government so that tourism projects are implemented in a time-bound manner. He expressed the hope that with the reconstitution of the National Tourism Advisory Council and the creation of the Hospitality Development and Promotion Board, approvals and facilitation of hotel projects will be expedited.
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