Selja looks at caravan,heliport tourism for niche segments

With foreign tourist arrivals taking a big hit because of global economic recession,the government has decided to roll...

With foreign tourist arrivals taking a big hit because of global economic recession,the government has decided to roll out new products to cater to niche segment of travellers and provide them with a unique experience in India.

Announcing the 100-day agenda of her ministry,Tourism Minister Kumari Selja on Wednesday said the government would launch caravan tourism and heliport tourism,two completely new and one-of-its-kind schemes,in a bid to attract more tourists in the country.

In caravan tourism,travellers would be put up in vehicles,modified as rooms with attached bath,and taken around the countryside. The project is planned to be initially launched in Rajasthan,Madhya Pradesh and the areas around the Western Ghats.

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The project can be successful in places that have good roads and a good network of restaurants, Selja said.

Heliport Tourism is an attempt by the ministry to promote hilly and remote areas,that have good tourism potential but are not easily accessible by road or rail network. The ministry aims to provide financial assistance to the state governments to build helipads at these locations. Regular helicopter services from the nearest city can then be started to ferry tourists to the destination.

In addition,the ministry also plans to promote wellness tourism,which is a development on the concept of medical tourism that is already in operation. Selja said the idea was to promote India as a unique tourist destination and ensure a travelling experience that was not available anywhere else in the world.

India had been targeting to attract one million foreign tourists arrival by 2010,but the slowdown in the tourism sector,a result of the economic recession,has put paid to those plans. The country is now hoping to touch 7 million arrivals by next year.