The Hindu : National : Renuka calls for public-private participation in Tourism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 13, 2004

National

National

Renuka calls for public-private participation in Tourism

By Our Staff Correspondent

SHIMLA, DEC. 12. The Union government is seriously planning to introduce the concepts of "visa on arrival" and "inner line border permits" to boost the growth of tourist arrivals in the country. This is disclosed by Ms Renuka Chowdhary the Minister of State for Tourism in her valedictory address in a three-day Tourism Conclave organised jointly by the Himachal Tourism and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Ms Chowdhary stressed the need for a public-private participation in the development of tourism while taking it into a realm of new heights. On the one hand when the CII and Himachal Tourism Department were of the opinion that only outsourcing to private parties can bring a quality in tourism, Ms Chowdhary said that the huge quantity of people involved in this sector needs to be educated and made more secure with sustained incomes. "We need a capacity building", she recommended.

She said the need of the hour is to come out of the "McDonald Burger Syndrome" and the tourism needs to be taken to the villages and made more broad-based. It should have the richness of local identities and local culture, she said. The tourism sector which is the third largest foreign exchange earner needs more attention, she added.

The Tourism Minister insisted on the investment on pilgrimage tourism, village tourism in the harvesting season and on the expansion of the tourist season from a few months to a round the year activity. Amidst a big gathering of private hoteliers eying at buying the cheap properties of Himachal Tourism Corporation, as announced by the state tourism Minister G.S. Bali, Ms Chowdhary talked of promoting self employment, creating tourism activity related self help groups and forwarding the rural market linkages. A number of representatives of big hotel chains were present in the conclave after a recent privatisation derives by the Congress led state government. Mr. Bali said quality tourism is the new mantra and the private projects of industrialists would be cleared in maximum 100 days in a single window clearance.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News Update

Stories in this Section

Advani warns against `Congressisation'

Sonia condoles death of Kashmir leader

India-Pakistan talks on narcotics control starts today

Renuka calls for public-private participation in Tourism

Blogs its way to the dictionary

Mamata invited to `return home'

Pappu Yadav denies making calls from mobile

Anil Ambani camp releases letter

Have cyber space, courtesy Microsoft

An insight into Oriya women's world

U.S. told of concern over weapons supply to Pakistan

``RSS is secular''

`Implement police reforms'

"Legacy will survive for years"