Tourism has the potential to become the backbone of the economy of the country, says the Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge), Culture (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation, Dr Mahesh Sharma. He made the statement during an interactive session and press conference of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) in New Delhi on July 8.
Sharma appreciated the role played by private stakeholders like IATO in promoting tourism in the country. “The participation of the private sector should be explored to the maximum possible extent to promote tourism and to meet tourism related targets,” he said.
He added that the world has become a global village and tourism is a powerful tool to connect our country to the rest of the world.
Sharma cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role of brand ambassador and disclosed that the foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) from these countries visited by the Prime Minister have shown a substantial increase.
