New Delhi Aug 22: “Having noted that, the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs in the last National Conference of Tourism Ministers’ held on 18th July, 2013 had resolved to; ensure safety and security of tourists, especially women,run a mass awareness campaign called “I respect women”, ensure cleanliness at various tourism destinations involving all stakeholders.
Impart working spoken knowledge of a foreign language to the officials dealing with tourists rationalize the tax structure to make various tourism destinations competitive, promote seamless travel, grant necessary licences / no objection certificates for various tourism services in a time bound manner, assess the carrying capacity of various tourism destinations, especially religious places, on the basis of the principles of environmental sustainability.
And, after the deliberations today, the tourism ministers of the States and Union Territories joined the Ministry of Tourism to further resolve;
that the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs will work for creating a safe and secure environment for tourists by taking appropriate measures including running mass awareness campaigns,
that the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs will take steps on priority to maintain cleanliness in and around various tourism destinations and cities,
that the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs will strive to develop and promote niche tourism products like medical & wellness, MICE, agro based and plantation tourism, cruise tourism and adventure tourism, to overcome seasonality,
that the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs will develop Tourism destinations keeping in view the principles of carrying capacity and sustainability,
that the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs will adopt the “Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India” developed by the Ministry of Tourism for developing tourism in a responsible manner,
that the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs will endeavour to promote responsible and pro-poor tourism by ensuring the increased involvement of local communities both at District and Panchayat levels,
while appreciating the usefulness of the public service delivery system, the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs will minimise the delay in granting various licenses / no-objection certificates for construction and operation of hotels, and the other tourism facilities.
that the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs will popularise Bed & Breakfast scheme to augment budget accommodation in the country,
that the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs will work towards skill development in trades and areas specific to hospitality and tourism sector,
that the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs in partnership with the Government of India will develop skill development programmes to meet the tourism industry’s requirements, run short term courses under the broad framework of the programme ‘Hunar Se Rozgar Tak’ and proactively persuade the tourism industry stakeholders to nominate existing service providers for the skill testing and certification courses run by the Ministry of Tourism,
that the Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs would identify new areas for skill development specific to monuments, historical places, archaeological sites, niche products, tourist destinations and circuits for enhancing employment opportunities in the tourism sector.”(SP News)
