35 tourist sites to be developed during India’s 12th Plan

MANGALORE, India – India’s Ministry of Tourism plans to develop 35 destinations in the country during the 12th Plan. Under this, everything required for the development of such destinations will be done in a holistic manner, according to Mr Subodh Kant Sahay, Union Tourism Minister.

In an informal chat with presspersons on the sidelines of a stakeholders meet on the development of tourism in coastal Karnataka here on Saturday, Mr Sahay said the Government’s intention is to give last-mile connectivity for these 35 destinations.

The 35 destinations’ development will be modelled on the lines of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, he said. “If the road is required it will be connected from the airport or railway station till the destination. The destination, wayside amenities everything will be developed on a holistic manner,” he said.

Stating that the domestic tourism is going to attract 50 million tourists by 2020, Mr Sahay said the country requires around 26 lakh rooms to meet the demand. Since it is a huge requirement, the State Governments should come out with a policy to meet that.

He said the Government wants to have a share of at least 1 per cent of the global tourism business. How to achieve this will be based on interactions with the industry, tour operators and hotel owners. The Tourism Department has 14 offices overseas. The Government plans to open 20 more representative offices in various overseas locations, he said.

Stressing the need for improving the image of tourist destinations in the country, he said the Government would launch a ‘Clean India’ campaign in Delhi on December 20. The foreign tourists give importance for hygiene, and this campaign will focus on improving hygiene at tourist destinations. The campaign involves four-stage participation from the stakeholders at national, State, district and destination level, he added.