Govt Cultural Package For Tourism Promotion

To begin with, cultural festivals will be organised near India Gate on a permanent basis to provide evening entertainment to tourists. This was disclosed by tourism minister Shrikant Jena to the consultative committee attached to his ministry.

Similar cultural festivals will also be started near other tourists spots. According to Jena, a number of private agencies and voluntary organisations have shown keen interest to sponsor these cultural events. These cultural events will not only promote our folk culture, but also provide quality evening entertainment, Jena told the consultative committee.

The government is in the process of revising the curriculum of tourism and hotel management in institutes to include cultural aspects of various regions.

 

The training programme for all other agencies involved in tourism will also be reoriented with this purpose, Jena said and added that the government had decided to give priority to improvement of infrastructure rather than to publicity. The improvement of tourism product will itself attract the tourists, the minister said.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has been approached by the Centre for its assistance in preparing a time-bound proposal for promotion of tourism in the state.

Assistance of Rs 4 crore has already been marked by the Planning Commission for the improvement of tourism infrastructure in J&K and a task force has been constituted in the department of tourism to monitor promotional measures.

Underlining the need for coordinated approach on the part of the state government and the private sector in the area of tourism, Jena said that a board will be set up very soon to establish coordination among all the relevant agencies.

The proposed tourism board will have representatives of all the departments, organisations and state governments concerned.