'Safety of foreign tourists is of utmost importance to govt'

Union Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma today said the government was giving utmost importance to safety, cleanliness and hospitality to instill confidence among the foreign tourists.
Sharma, who held a meeting with the members of Ambassadors Forum, India here today said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been laying emphasis on promoting tourism and culture during his visit to various countries.
"The government is now giving utmost importance to safety, cleanliness and hospitality in order to inspire confidence among the tourists visiting India. Addressing the safety issue is our main concern," the Minister said.
To ensure safety, the Ministry of Tourism has introduced Welcome cards for tourists, setup special helpline and is imparting training to drivers, street vendors, according to a statement here.

Participants highlighted the importance of improving connectivity and wanted direct flights of Air India connecting the capital cities of various countries to India.
They also offered to give incentives to Bollywood producers/directors for shooting films at beautiful locations in their countries, the statement added.

The countries in Europe wanted that e-tourist visa be extended to all the European countries.
The Ambassadors/High Commissioners of 13 countries including Canada, Greece, Mexico, Nepal, Norway, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Turkey, and European Union were among those present at the meeting.
The meeting was held to promote relationships based on tourism and culture between India and the member countries, the statement said.