Date:12/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/05/12/stories/2005051200851700.htm

Back Centre calls meet to rev up tourism drive

K.V. Kurmanath

Hyderabad , May 11

GIVING a major push to the Atithi Devo Bhava (Guest is God) campaign, Union Ministry of Tourism is convening a national meet of nodal officers from different Union Ministries and State Governments in New Delhi on Thursday.

"The basic idea is to assign definitive roles to all ministries, departments and State Governments and gear them up for the campaign," according to Mr T.W. Sudhakar, Assistant Director (India Tourism).

Senior officials from the Home, Information and Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Railways, Civil Aviation and Culture would take part in the meeting.

The Union Government launched the Atithi Devo Bhava campaign in January to attract more tourists into the country by taking up a variety of programmes.

This included capacity building programmes to various stakeholders like Tax drivers, guides and tourist police.

The Delhi meeting was aimed at achieving coordination between various Government departments that directly dealt with issues related to tourism.

"It will also help synergise energies," Mr Sudhakar said.

The Telecommunications Ministry could chip in through a toll-free number for the tourism needs.