IN a bid to promote tourism in the country, the Central Government might be willing to pump in funds to the tune of Rs 25 crore to develop Champaner in Vadodara as part of a national project. This was stated by Joint Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism Amitabh Kant on Thursday while addressing a conference on the Incredible India campaign here. He said that he foresaw Gujarat as a prime tourist destination in the coming years.
Kant said that since the tourism industry has grown by about 45 per cent in the last two years, the additional earnings being up to about Rs 8,000 crore, the Centre was always ready to fund such projects. He said that the deal could be finalised following close discussions with the State Government and then a Memorandum of Understanding can be signed sometime in the near future.
Kant felt that Champaner, like Hampi in Karnataka or Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, was an excellent destination for arts, artefacts and culture. “I visited the site today and I was amazed at the secular concept and the richness of its architecture,” he said. Emphasising on the need to develop Champaner, he said more excavation, restoration and preservation activities were necessary before developing it as a popular tourist spot.
However, he also stressed the need to improve Vadodara’s infrastructure to handle the tourist traffic. “The development of Vadodara airport is the key. The air traffic, to and from Vadodara, has to increase,” Kant said.
Courtesy : Expressindia.com
Kant said that since the tourism industry has grown by about 45 per cent in the last two years, the additional earnings being up to about Rs 8,000 crore, the Centre was always ready to fund such projects. He said that the deal could be finalised following close discussions with the State Government and then a Memorandum of Understanding can be signed sometime in the near future.
Kant felt that Champaner, like Hampi in Karnataka or Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, was an excellent destination for arts, artefacts and culture. “I visited the site today and I was amazed at the secular concept and the richness of its architecture,” he said. Emphasising on the need to develop Champaner, he said more excavation, restoration and preservation activities were necessary before developing it as a popular tourist spot.
However, he also stressed the need to improve Vadodara’s infrastructure to handle the tourist traffic. “The development of Vadodara airport is the key. The air traffic, to and from Vadodara, has to increase,” Kant said.
Courtesy : Expressindia.com