New Delhi: After a lack lustre year in policy formulation, the twin ministries of Tourism and Culture appears to be slowly picking up pace.
After the change of government, the two ministries were clubbed under a same minister to bring synergy into their working. Prime Minister Narendra Modi picked up first-time MP Mahesh Sharma to head these ministries, as Sripad Naik was shifted to a newly carved AYUSH ministry during the cabinet expansion in November.
The latest figures released by the tourism ministry revealed that number of foreign tourists jumped to 65.85 lakhs in the last eleven months (January-November) and the country earned Rs One lakh crore in foreign exchange from them.
India’s share in world tourists’ arrivals still hovers around measly 0.64 percent. Sharma last week set up an ambitious target of one percent.
The tourism ministry launched a Tourist Visas on Arrival enabled by Electronic Travel Authorization to felicitate visitors ease in coming to India. Nearly 16,000 visas were processed since its launch on 27th November, 2014.
A much delayed initiative finally was announced - ‘Incredible India helpline’ to address and guide the tourists during any emergency. This service will be available as toll free on telephone 1800111363 or on a short code 1363.
As work of both ministries overlap, the government announced E-ticketing initiative where entry tickets for world heritage monuments Taj Mahal, Agra and Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi, could be booked online.
The ministry also decided to designate 25 monuments as Adarsh Smarak (model monuments). These monuments would be provided necessary tourist facilities including wi-fi, security, signages, encroachment free area, interpretation centres showing short films about the importance of monuments and signboards of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.These includes: Leh Palace, Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi, Qutb Complex, New Delhi, Red Fort, Delhi, Khajuraho, Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram, Martand Temple, Kashmir, Elephanta Caves, Thanjaur-Brihadeshwar, Tamil Nadu, Taj Mahal, Agra, St Angleo Fort, Kerala, Rani-ki-Vav, Gujarat, Konark Temple, Odisha, Hampi, Karnataka.
The government has also been pitching for importance of ‘spiritualism tourism’ to give boost to the sector. The government will develop five tourist circuits around specific themes - Ganga circuit, Krishna circuit, Buddha circuit, North East circuit and Kerala circuit. Rs 500 crore were allotted in the Budget this year for two new schemes PRASAD and HRIDAY for pilgrimage rejuvenation and spiritual augmentation as well as heritage city development.
One thing that comes common to both is cleanliness, as the ministries tried to start programme to clean monuments (under the Culture Ministry) and tourist places (under the purview of the tourism ministry) to bring about a favourable change in perception of foreign tourists, who contribute the economy.