ICONIC TOURIST SITES

July 29, 2019

During her Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that 17 “Iconic Tourist Sites” in the country would be developed by the government “into world class tourist destinations, to serve as a model for other tourism sites”.

About:

The Sites: Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh), Ajanta & Ellora (Maharashtra), Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort and Qutub Minar (Delhi), Colva (Goa), Amer Fort (Rajasthan), Somnath and Dholavira (Gujarat), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), Hampi (Karnataka), Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Kaziranga (Assam), Kumarakom (Kerala) and the Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar).
Objective: To develop these sites into world class tourist destinations, to serve as a model for other tourism sites.
Strategy: It involves overall development from the tourism point of view in and around these sites — which includes roads and infrastructure, hotels and lodges, connectivity and access”.
Implementing Agencies: Several ministries, from Railways to Civil Aviation, will be involved, while the Tourism Ministry will be the nodal agency.