Gujarat’s Tourism Minister Saurabh Patel on Thursday accused the UPA Government of excluding the State in ‘Incredible India’ campaign aimed at promoting tourism activities in the country.
“Gujarat has not been included in the flagship ‘Incredible India’ campaign of the Union Ministry of Tourism and not a single tourist destination of the State has been projected,” State Government officials quoted the Gujarat minister as having said at the National Conference of State Tourism Ministers in Delhi. Inspite of assurances from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to develop the world famous Dandi Route and former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahai’s promise to develop Dwarka as the landmark of religious tourism, nothing has been done yet and Gujarat is constantly ignored by the Centre, said Patel.
In response to Union Minister for Tourism K Chiranjeevi’s concerns about safety of tourists being the prime concern in the country, he pointed out the Gujarat Government’s initiatives in this regard. “Gujarat Government has created a special police force under the Home department to enforce safety and security measures for tourist influx, which has registered a remarkable growth rate of 13.62 per cent in 2012-13 much higher than the national average growth in tourism sector,” the officials quoted him in a communique.
A batch of 60 police personnel are undergoing training at present to facilitate tourists’ safety and also perform as information providers about tourist destinations in the State, Patel, who is also the Gujarat Government’s spokesman, said. “Gujarat Government is bringing a comprehensive tourism policy which also includes rationalisation of taxes. There are discussions under way with neighbouring States on cross-border transport taxes which are pertinent issues at hand,” Patel said. Chiranjeevi applauded Gujarat for setting examples for other States in tourism sector and also assured complete assistance for developing the Porbandar and Dwarka tourist circuits.