'Rural touch to tourism beneficial'

New Delhi, Sep 29 (UNI) Witnessing a quantum growth in the GDP in the past few years with tourism being an important source of revenue and employment, the Government is evolving ways to develop local products and traditions in order to enhance tourism.

''This would help in the development of grass root tourism that is area and state specific. Moreover, product of tourism lies in India's rural areas,'' Joint Secretary Tourism Amitabh Kant today said.

This is being done in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with a focus on conservation and preservation, he added.

Mr Kant said each state should evolve its own brand of tourism and not indulge in adopting ideas from the West. ''It is important to realise modernisation is not Westernisation, therefore every destination should have a carrying capacity,'' he added.

The tourism industry witnessed an increase in the foreign exchange earnings from 3168 million dollars in 2000 to 5730.86 million dollars in 2005. Also, Foreign tourist arrivals in India have grown from 6.9 per cent in 2000 to 13.2 per cent in 2005.

The World Heritage list includes 830 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage, which the inter- governmental World Heritage Committee has deemed to be of outstanding universal value.

UNESCO seeks to promote Pro-poor, Pro-local programme and heritage-based tourism with an eye on the Millenium Development Goals (MDG's) through its Heritage Passport Programme, Director and Representative, UNESCO, Minja Yang said.

Heritage Passport is linked with UNESCO through culture and science, she added.

UNESCO has started a lifetime project with the National Institute of Open Schooling with intent to increase the service potential of the employees.

UNI DKS RA BD1650