The Union Tourism Ministry intended to develop 35 integrated circuits in public private partnership in all states and 20 tourism parks and 70 rural tourism clusters during the 12th Plan.

Stating this Union Tourism minister, Subodh Kant Sahai said his ministry has appointed a national level consultant to identify four tourism circuits in each state, excluding the North Eastern states and 2 in each union territory for integrated development of tourism circuits during the 12th Plan period.

Addressing the Second Inter State Regional Conference of the Tourism Ministers of Eastern and North Eastern States here, Sahai said a mission has been launched for improvement of the tourism sector by targeting to achieve an annual growth of 12.38 per cent in foreign tourist arrivals.

Sahai said that to attract more foreign tourists to India, the Centre has extended the visa on arrival scheme from January last year for Finland, Japan, Luxembourgh, New Zealand and Singapore to six more countries. The six countries to which the scheme was extended from January this year were Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos and Myanmar, Sahai said.

Referring to initiatives for the North Eastern Region, Sahai said the ministry would extend central financial assistance to state governments for infrastructure development at selected tourist destination and circuits. "For the North Eastern Region, a study has been carried out for identification and development of tourism infrastructure by the Ministry of DoNER," the union minister said.

PTI