By IANS,
New Delhi : India will spend over Rs.275 crore to promote its destinations, art, culture and tradition to attract more tourists from abroad, Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed said here Friday.
He said in the Lok Sabha that the plan was to spend Rs.275 crore this year, up from Rs.240 crore last year.
India creates awareness about its various products, including various destinations through the much awarded Incredible India campaign. In 2008, the country spent Rs.220 crore on the campaign, while it was Rs.169 crore in 2007.
Ahmed said the ministry conducts various activities for the promotion of tourism like printing and distribution of literature, participation in travel fairs and roadshows, advertising, promotions with stakeholders in the markets abroad through its 14 offices overseas and through the Incredible India campaigns.
The ministry also organises roadshows in important tourist generating markets overseas, arranges familiarisation tours for tour and travel operators and invites international travel writers.
“The impact of the ‘Incredible India’ campaign is seen in the increase in the number of international tourist arrivals from 2.38 million in the year 2002 to an estimated 5.11 million in the year 2009,” the minister said.