India won Most Travel Awards
LONDON: India won four awards, including the 'Best Asian Destination' prize, at the 2006 World Travel Market here, Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni said.Besides the 'Best Asian Destination' honour, India Tourism also won the awards for 'Best TV Commercial', 'Best Responsible Tourism' and the 'Best MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition) Destination', Soni said.The Minister said there has been a nearly two-fold increase in the tourist traffic to India, from 2.38 million in 2002 to 3.92 million in 2005.
The foreign exchange earning through tourism has gone up from USD 2.923 billion in 2002 to USD 5.731 billion in 2005, she added.She expressed confidence that the number of tourists would touch 10 million by 2010.The rural tourism initiative has been recognised at the World Travel Market as one of the best projects, Soni said adding that it was established as a joint programme between the Ministry of Tourism and the UNDP and is currently spread over 20 states in the country.Soni said the Taj Mahal continued to be the most visited monument in the world.
Medical tourism was being developed in the country with the assistance of the Ministry of Health and efforts are on to provide a secure package to the patients which includes both treatment and relaxation, the Minister added.
Medical tourism was being developed in the country with the assistance of the Ministry of Health and efforts are on to provide a secure package to the patients which includes both treatment and relaxation, the Minister added.
