By IANS,
New Delhi : The serial blasts in Jaipur earlier this month that killed 61 and injured over 200 would not in the long-run impact on tourist arrivals as both Indian and foreign visitors are taking terrorist activities in their stride, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni said Thursday.
Soni, who was speaking after signing a cultural agreement with oil-rich Brunei, said tourists in Jaipur had remained calm and stayed in their hotels for two days after the blasts, but later continued with their planned acitivites.
“Blasts had happened, but life goes on. I don’t think there would be long-term impact,” she maintained.
“Tourists worldwide have taken such things in their stride. The governments should be just more strict about combating terrorism. Tourists have begun to take terrorist activities in their stride,” she added.
Soni said she was “confident” there would not be any long-term impact as far as tourism was concerned as the central and state governments were taking concrete steps to prevent terrorist attacks.
“For any government, security is the main concern and no government wants terror attacks to happen in their countries. If they do take place, then immediate action should be taken and culprits brought to book,” she added.
Soni, who is also the culture minister, pointed out that despite terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, even domestic tourists were travelling to the state.
“There have been attacks on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir, but domestic tourists are going to Gulmarg and Srinagar. The houseboats are all packed with tourists. People are also going to the Tulip garden,” she added.