Kerala - Kochi   

Centre promises steps to boost tourism

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni has promised to initiate adequate steps to boost tourism.

As part of this initiative, arrangement would be made to issue multiple visas to tourists on arrival, she said while speaking at the inaugural function of the Kerala Travel Mart here on Wednesday.

She said the Union Government would ensure that the tourists would have to wait for only 36-48 hours for visa. The help of Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be available to coordinate the process. Medical visas would be issued for one-year for patients as well as the person who accompanied the patient. The period could be extended up to three years.

Noting that the tourists faced shortage of budget hotel rooms, she said the Government was working out a scheme to provide tax incentives for those constructing budget hotels. The Minister said 35 major cities in the country would have world-class airports.

World-class museums and libraries would be set up with private partnership.

Steps would be taken to ensure that strikes would not impede the tourists' schedule. Projects would be initiated for pilgrimage tourism.

Ms. Soni said international conferences and meetings would invite more tourists. The potential in this arena in the Asia-Pacific region is worth $ 60 billion. Major international medical conferences and heritage meetings would be organised in the coming years.

Pointing out that Kerala had become the top most State in attracting tourists, she said the State could further expand the medical tourism activity.

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