Coming soon: Signages in foreign languages at tourist sites

The government is working on a proposal to instal signages in foreign languages across all tourist sites in the country, a senior official said on Thursday.

The tourism ministry official said signages will be installed in national languages of three countries, from where the maximum tourists arrive at a particular destination.

Referring to the Buddhist monument of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, the official said as the site was mostly frequented by tourists from Sri Lanka, Korea and Japan, the signages would be in their languages.

Currently, signages at popular sites are usually in English and Hindi.

The move is part of the culture and tourism ministry's efforts to improve the experience of foreigners visiting India, the official said.

"Other measures include a complete standardisation of products and services so that tourists are not fleeced. We need to change the perception of India. This means we have to ensure safety, cleanliness and basic amenities for the tourists at our sites," the official said.

Minister, Tourism and Culture Prahlad Patel who met senior officials of the various state governments on Thursday is believed to have conveyed to them the need for coordination between the centre and states over all these areas.

The ministry has also asked the states to identify the monuments which meet the UNESCO criteria so that they can be included in the temporary list of world heritage sites, the official said.