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36 hubs identified to promote tourism and culture

Our Correspondent in New Delhi

The government has identified 36 new hubs across India to act as pace-setters for the entire country to synthesise the element of tourism and culture said Jagmohan, Minister of Tourism and Culture, while addressing a session on 'Heritage sites of India' at the India Economic Summit, organized by Confederation of Indian Industry and the World Economic Forum, in New Delhi on Monday.

The first of these hubs, which have been restored, is Ajanta, and work is on for creation of newer hubs at Hampi in Karnataka and Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, he said.

Jagmohan also stated that Defence Minister George Fernandes has agreed to hand over large barracks occupied in the Red Fort to the tourism ministry.

Already a few sites have been handed over and the defence minister has agreed to hand over more in the coming days, he said.

While making a presentation to domestic and foreign business leaders, Jagmohan said that India is giving highest priority to the tourism sector with allocation for the 10th Five-Year Plan increasing five fold to Rs 2,900 crore (Rs 29 billion).

He said that vast opportunities exist with regard to nature, hill, adventure, rural and wild-life tourism and also in relation to our practices of Yoga, Siddha, Ayurveda and Unani systems of dealing with physical and mental ailments.

Jagmohan highlighted some of the other initiatives already operationalised on the ground like revamping of cultural legacy of Kurukshetra, Hardwar and Rishikesh, rediscovery of intellectual and spiritual heritage, and development of new tourism circuits.

He urged industry to come forward to take advantage of new initiatives and help in making India a sought after destination.

Ashok Soota, President CII, while introducing the minister to business leaders stated that there is a renewed focus on tourism sector in the country today.

After suffering the brunt of global slowdown, the current tourist season is starting to report high occupancy levels at hotels and resorts across the country. The private sector is also taking steps to make Indian tourism more competitive by reducing fares and better holiday package offerings.

He highlighted that while India is able to attract about 2.6 million annually, China attracts 32 million annual international tourists. This gap, he said, between tourist arrivals into India and China shows the potential for India to attract greater international tourists.

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