The third meeting of India`s National Tourism Advisory Council (NTAC) was held under the chairpersonship of Smt. Ambika Soni, Minister for Tourism and Culture. Secretary, Tourism Shri A.K. Misra welcomed the…
The third meeting of India`s National Tourism Advisory Council (NTAC) was held under the chairpersonship of Smt. Ambika Soni, Minister for Tourism and Culture. Secretary, Tourism Shri A.K. Misra welcomed the members and briefed them on the developments in the Tourism sector taking place since the last meeting and the new initiatives taken by the Ministry. NTAC is a ‘Think Tank’ constituted by the Government and comprises experts from various fields, representatives of industry associations like CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, PHDCCI, FHRAI, IATO & TAAI, as well as Ministries of Finance, Culture, Civil Aviation, Planning Commission, and advises the Government on various aspects of tourism with the objective of promoting domestic and foreign tourism in the country.
The Minister of Tourism and Culture Smt. Ambika Soni briefed the members of NTAC about the recent initiatives of the Ministry of Tourism. These include, inter-alia, introduction of Advanced Passenger Information System on pilot basis, efforts made to provide infrastructure status for tourism industry, introduction of luxury tourist trains on new routes, upgradation of airport and railway stations infrastructure, maintenance and beautification of monuments, and increasing awareness among the public and tourism stakeholders about the need to maintain and nurture our heritage which are great tourist attractions. She also informed the Council that the Ministry has been actively interacting with the agencies of Central and State Governments in connection with the preparation for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, including the steps required to address the issue of providing accommodation for the large number of visitors expected during these Games.
The members appreciated the initiatives of the Ministry and made many constructive suggestions for further improvements. The Council recognized that the Incredible India campaign has positioned India as an exclusive tourist destination, and there was a need to have fast-paced development of infrastructure to take advantage of this situation and further build on this. The Council also emphasized development of wildlife tourism in the country, addressing the concerns for preservation of the natural environment. The Council discussed, among others, issues relating to development of tourism infrastructure, Public-Private Partnership, promotion & marketing of tourism, domestic tourism, cultural tourism, new tourism products.
