ASI spent Rs 400.68 lakh renovating Goa's churches

New Delhi, Oct 21 (UNI) A total of Rs 400.68 lakh has been incurred by the Goa circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on the renovation and upgradation of churches and convents in Goa, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Union Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni said, in a written reply, the churches and monuments, which come under the World Heritage category, are one of the 22 mega projects identified in the country for development under the scheme of product/infrastructure development of destination or circuits in the country.

x x x x x x INDIAN TOURISM: India's share in international tourist arrivals has gone up a notch from 0.34 per cent in 2002 to 0.56 per cent in 2007, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Kanti Singh said.

She said infrastructural constraints that inhibit the larger inflows of visitors to the country were being addressed through the development of tourist sites, focussing on the growth of hotel infrastructure, particularly budget hotels, and strengthening the existing institutes of hotel managements or food craft institutes.

''In addition, the Ministry of Tourism coordinates with the Ministries of Railways, Civil Aviation, Road Transport and Highways, Urban Development, among others, for the convergence of projects to ensure a holistic and integrated development of the tourism infrastructure,'' Ms Singh added.

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