By IANS,
New Delhi : Tourism ministers of nine states will meet in Rishikesh in Uttarakhand Thursday to discuss steps to develop and promote tourism, including identifying new destinations to attract more foreigners.
Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai will inaugurate the 2nd Inter State Regional Conference of the tourism ministers of the north and central states to promote tourism in these states.
Tourism ministers of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Jharkhand will take part in the conference.
Uttarkhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal will address the conference.
The focus will be on identifying new destinations and circuits and also on promoting domestic tourism, an official said.
The conference will also discuss inter-state movement of tourist vehicles, taxes on tourism and hospitality sectors, broad-basing of hospitality education and training, skill training for the hospitality sector as well as setting up of wayside amenities on key roads, the official added.
Over 5.5 million foreign tourists visited India in 2010, an increase of 8.1 percent over the previous year.
In 2009, 5.17 million foreign travellers visited India, while 5.28 million visited the country in 2008.