Ambika Soni espouses high-end tourism in Goa

Panaji, May 28 (UNI) Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni today said she favoured high-end tourism for Goa with world-class infrastructure that will address ecological concerns and preserve cultural heritage of the State.

Addressing a press conference here after a meeting of Indian Hotel Management institutes here, Ms Soni said her ministry was in the process of upgrading and increasing hotel management institutes and also training bilingual and trilingual guides.

''We are also shortlisting buildings of architecture and heritage value. There is also a move to create more museums,'' she said.

Stating that tourism was the only sector with broadest base of job generation, Ms Soni said her ministry was in the process of co-ordinating with ministries of surface transport, railways and civil aviation for better tourism-related infrastructure.

She admitted that there had been a slight drop in the foreign tourist arrivals in 2005 as compared to 2004 in Goa. She said 2006 figures are yet to be compiled and the picture in 2007 will be even better because of the number of steps taken by the tourism ministry to boost the tourism sector.

She said tourism ministry has limited resources and it is pushing for more financial assistance. Last year, USD 6.6 billion revenue came from tourism sector alone and the budgetary allocation was a mere Rs 950 crore.

Ms Soni said the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) Goa branch has a budget of Rs 92 crore and the business families in the State should come forward to participate in the national cultural fund to preserve and conserve heritage.

The minister said she did not see the policy of renting out rooms to tourists in coastal areas was violation of CRZ rules. ''The policy clearly states that one or five rooms should be rented out and the owner must live in the house. So there is no question of the home being converted into a hotel,'' she added.

UNI