THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Union and State Governments would have to alter the strategies for the development of the tourism sector and to attract more tourists to the country, according to Union Tourism Secretary Christy Fernandez.

Mr. Fernandez, who was in the capital to review the Centrally funded tourism projects in Kerala and visit prime destinations, told The Hindu that the tourism sector has to be basically taken forward by the private sector. A private sector driven strategy is needed for development of tourism sector.

"The role of the State should be as a facilitator than as a service provider. More simplified procedures such as single window clearance and Foreign Direct Investment is the need of the hour for the tourism sector," he said.

The Tourism Secretary said harmonisation of policies, fiscal and non-fiscal, is needed for seamless movement of tourists from one end of the country to the other.

Strategic shift

Mr. Fernandez said a strategic shift was needed and the cooperation among the States on a regional basis such as connectivity and better information sharing was encouraging.

High-end tourists in the small and big Asian countries need to be tapped. The order of the day is going to be regional cooperation. The tourism sector is poised for qualitative and quantitative growth. The pace of growth is impressive and is more than 12 per cent. Remarkable achievements have been made in marketing the destination, particularly through the Incredible India campaign.

It is reflected in the 4.5 million tourist arrivals to the country in 2006. "We expect the trend to be more dynamic. The next stage is to redesign new development and promotional strategies for the tourism sector," he added.

The lack of connectivity to tourist destinations and to North-Eastern States had already been taken up with the Civil Aviation Ministry. A meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi next week would discuss the issue, he added.

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