Government has built a solid base to woo international tourists but now it is up to each State to work on it to bring in foreign visitors, a top official said here.
"Tourism is not just about dollar spending visitors. Tourism leads to creation of opportunities which will generate jobs, it is about the economic impact it comes with" Madhu Dubey, Regional Director, Australasia of India Tourism said.
The share of India in international tourist arrivals is only 0.64 per cent. Dubey was here on the last leg of a three-nation roadshow organised by Incredible India, India Tourism where Indian tour operators held 'business2business' meets with local travel agents in Singapore, Kuala lumpur and Bangkok.
"Tourism is not high priority for all the states. For most of them, development and agricultural projects are the focus," she told PTI last evening.
She admitted that a few states took international tourism very seriously and named Rajasthan and Kerala in this regard. For most high-end tourists, India is synonymous with these two states but they also know of Taj Mahal because they have read about it, she said.
Dubey said the centre through it's Tourism board spent thousands of dollars to promote India outside. "But it is now up to the states and private tour operators to take over," she said adding that the states and tour operators have to "evolve from selling India to Marketing India outside". "You can take the horse to water but can't force it to drink it," she said.
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