-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | Goanetters annual meet in Goa is scheduled for Dec 27, 2005 @ 4pm | | | |The Riviera Opposite Hotel Mandovi, Panjim (near Ferry Jetty/Riverfront)| | Attending.......drop a line to [EMAIL PROTECTED] | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Policy on adventure tourism soon NDTV.COM Ritika Jhanji Wednesday, December 28, 2005 (New Delhi):
The government is all set to launch a national policy on adventure tourism States like Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh, already considered adventure destinations, are likely to get special attention soon. "We want do develop selective places first, stressing on sustainability and capacity. Tourists should bring in more than they take away from the destination," says Amitabh Kant, Joint Secretary, Tourism Ministry. Safety norms Another key area that will be looked at is safety. International safety norms that are acceptable for these sports will be made mandatory in the country. The ministry will ensure that no environmental norms are violated by developing adventure sport resorts. And it will try to make the resorts affordable for ordinary Indians and get in more foreign tourists. Talks are on with the finance ministry to reduce the service tax for tourist operators that deal with adventure sport. The ministry is also looking at allowing the use of GPS systems and satellite phones to make remote areas more accessible. In the long run, these places can then be developed as ski resorts. Big leap Those associated with the industry see it as a big leap forward, specially towards putting an end to untrained tour operators. "Safety of tourists is the biggest concern. We hope these guidelines will lay down uniform safety measures through out the country," says Mandeep Singh, Vice President, AITOA. Guidelines of the new policy will be out in a month and it is expected that the industry will grow at a rate of 35 to 40 per cent over the next five years. An aggressive 'Incredible India' campaign has made Indian tourism grow by 25 per cent over the last one year. It has also pushed the ministry to look at more areas to explore with adventure tourism being the latest. And it seems this is another step forward towards extending India's October-March tourist season to all year round. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --------------------------------------------------------------------------
