Tourism min calls for pilgrimages to be made affordable

Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma today advocated making domestic tourism, especially pilgrimages, affordable for the common man.
Tourism should not be the sole prerogative of the rich and should be made affordable for the domestic tourist also who desires to take his or her old parents on a pilgrimage, Sharma told the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Tourism and Culture Ministries at a meeting in Kachchh in Gujarat.
The meeting was held to take a general overview of the tourism and cultural sectors, said a release.
The minister explained to the participants the new schemes of the national mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) and Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), which were introduced in the 2014-15 Budget.

The MPs at the meet, meanwhile, lauded the introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) as an excellent initiative and said it should be expanded further.
The MPs also spoke of opportunities for promoting culture and tourism in their respective constituencies and also touched upon means of ensuring proper monitoring of central funds.

MP Bishnupada Ray spoke of the immense potential of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for tourism and called for the development of Viper Island and Cellular Jail by the ASI.
Presentations on the working of the Ministries of Tourism and Culture were made before the members of the consultative committee during the meeting.

Sharma elaborated the vision and mission of the two ministries to the MPs present. The scenario for tourism in Indian economy along with the global scenario and the challenges and goals were also discussed at the meeting.