Shekhawat Announces Master List of Tourist Destinations to Be Released Soon

Shekhawat Announces Master List of Tourist Destinations to Be Released Soon

New Delhi, Bureau:  Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat stated that the government will soon release a comprehensive master list of tourist destinations for holistic development. This initiative will serve as a new attempt to bring the unparalleled destinations of ‘Incredible India’ onto global platforms.

At a program organized by the Ministry of Tourism on the occasion of World Tourism Day in New Delhi, Shekhawat highlighted that the list would cover tourism, culture, civil aviation, railways, transport, forestry, and Jal Shakti (water resources) ministries, among others. This list will help identify and prioritize the development of tourist destinations over the next three years.

He added that the development of these destinations will be given top priority to provide a complete experience to tourists visiting the country. "Prominent international and national tourism spots will also be included in this master list," said Shekhawat.

Foreign Tourists to Get Visa Fee Waiver

Shekhawat announced that international tourists visiting these destinations will receive visa fee waivers. In addition, the launch of initiatives such as the “Tourism Friends” and “Tourism Didi” programs were also declared.

The event in New Delhi, organized on World Tourism Day, was attended by Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Culture and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, and several other dignitaries, including Rajya Sabha MP Surendra Singh Negi.

'Chalo India' Campaign to Attract Tourists

Under the ‘Chalo India’ campaign, it is expected that over one lakh (100,000) foreign tourists will benefit from the visa fee waiver scheme. Additionally, as part of this campaign, training and employment opportunities will be provided to local people living around the identified tourist spots.

Some key destinations included in the scheme are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Vishnupur (West Bengal), Hampi (Karnataka), Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), Velankanni (Tamil Nadu), and the Ranchi hills in Jharkhand.