NEW DELHI – India’s tourism ministry has rolled out an incentive to encourage domestic tourism among its citizens.
Announcing the government initiative at the National Tourism Conference in Odisha’s Konark last week, Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel announced that his ministry will fund the travel expenses of tourists who visit 15 destinations in the country in a year and submit the photos on the department’s website.
Mr Patel said the move should not be considered as a monetary benefit but as an incentive.
“The tourism ministry will fund the travel expenses of tourists who visit 15 destinations in the country in a year and submit the photos on our website,” said the Minister, who added that the tourists will have to travel outside their home states to be eligible for the incentive.
Mr Patel added that those completing the task should be honoured as brand ambassadors of Indian tourism.
In another effort to promote domestic tourism, Rupinder Brar, additional director general of Tourism, said the ministry had also been organising certification programmes for candidates who intend to work as tourist guides.