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State wins national tourism award

NEW DELHI: Famous for its backwaters and scenic beauty, Kerala on Friday received `best tourism State' award while the `best hotel' awards were bagged by Oberoi's Amarvilla in Agra and the Taj Residency in Bangalore.

Besides winning the best performing tourist State award for outstanding achievements in the tourism sector, Kerala won the `best maintained tourism friendly monuments' award for its Sakthan Thampuran Palace.

In the category of hotels, Oberoi Amarvilla, which came in the limelight for the first time in 2001 for hosting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, and Taj Residency were declared the best hotels. The Marriot in Delhi got the prize for `best eco-friendly hotel' and Coconut Lagoon in Kerala won the `best eco-friendly resort.'

Presenting the National Tourism Award for outstanding performance for the year 2004-05 in various sectors of tourism and travel, Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni said the Government had recently taken a number of initiatives to ensure active participation of the private sector in tourism promotion which included a scheme for infrastructure creation.

She also launched `Incredible India Visa Great Breaks' programme with Visa International to promote India as a preferred travel destination.

Ms. Soni also released TV commercials prepared by the Ministry on North-East, Jammu and Kashmir, Buddhist circuit and Andaman and Nicobar at the function. - PTI

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