Indian tourism to be re-launched on December 25

New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) To promote safety, security and hospitality of tourists on a massive scale, union Minister of Tourism and Culture Mahesh Sharma on Tuesday said his ministry will be re-launching Indian tourism with new agenda on Dec 25.

The tourism department will take up "new measures" to ensure these three main pointers are effectively implemented to promote tourism in the country, Sharma told reporters in a meeting here.

The tourism ministry has selected Dec 25 which would now be observed as "Good Governance Day" to celebrate former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"These will not be mere declarations but the ministry will ensure that these three important measures are implemented effectively," Sharma said.

Admitting that compared to China, foreign tourist arrival in India is mere 69 lakh, the ministry will do everything to make India a "safe" and "secure" place for tourists.

"We don’t want our tourists to take back pictures of garbage bins or dirty places. We want them to take back good memories from India," he added.

Not revealing much about the new initiatives the ministry will be taking, Sharma said it would be a "big leap towards promoting and propagating tourism".