Mr.Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President of India, presented the National Tourism Awards to awardees at the programme organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, to mark World Tourism Day, on 27th September 2022. Mr. G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Mr. Ajay Bhatt, MoS Tourism Mr. Ajay Bhatt Arvind Singh, Secretary Tourism also graced the ceremony. Highlighting the achievements of the industry in 2018-19 a total of 81 awards were given away this year and India Tourism Statistics 2022, New Incredible India Global Promotional Films, and “GoBeyond:75 Experiences of North India” e-book were also released by the Vice President on this occasion.
During his keynote address, Vice President Mr.Jagdeep Dhankhar described India as “heaven for tourism” and asked the Indians to explore domestic tourist destinations first before looking at international travel. Referring to Bharat’s long civilizational history and rich cultural heritage, he underlined that most of the tourist places in the country have a deep connection with our history, folk arts, and ancient texts.
Vice President termed tourism a key driver of economic growth and employment generation in the country. Referring to multiple dimensions of tourism, the Vice President stressed the need for fully leveraging India’s immense potential in the field of medical tourism as well as the growing global interest in our ancient practices of healing such as Ayurveda and Yoga.
Appreciating the Government’s efforts for the development of the tourism sector in the country, Mr. Dhankhar said that the development of tourism infrastructure has been accompanied by innovative initiatives such as Dekho Apna Desh and Utsav Portal.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. G. Kishan Reddy said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, India’s Tourism sector is moving towards creative, responsible, and inclusive growth. The Ministry of Tourism is working with a 360-degree perspective and a whole government approach for the development of the tourism sector. With Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Culture, and Ministry of Commerce are also working on the development of this sector, which will help in establishing better synergy and convergence leading to sustainable and world-class infrastructure development.
Mr.Reddy further highlighted that India plans to position itself as a major tourism destination during its presidency of G20 for 2023. During the presidency, we aim to showcase India as a ‘must-visit destination at a global level. 3600 railway coaches have been allocated for tourism purposes for Circuit specific trains. Such trains have already started for Ramayana and Buddhist Circuits while the one for Krishna Circuit will start soon. Our aim is to make India one of the most prominent destinations of the world. Union Minister added that Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi is working as the brand ambassador of Indian tourism.
Mr.Ajay Bhatt, MoS Tourism congratulated all the award winners and said that the Ministry of Tourism has prepared a draft National Tourism Policy 2022 as part of the vision of New India on the high trajectory of growth and prosperity. The Policy aims at Improving framework conditions for tourism development in the country, supporting tourism industries, strengthening tourism support functions, and developing tourism sub-sectors.
During his welcome speech Secretary Tourism, Mr. Arvind Singh said that this kind of award motivates the travel and tourism sector. Travel & Tourism is one of the world’s largest economic sectors, creating export and prosperity around the world. The Indian Tourism sector has emerged as one of the key drivers of growth for the Indian economy post covid, he said.
Madhya Pradesh received national awards in 8 different categories. Union Minister of State for Tourism Ajay Bhatt presented the honours to Usha Thakur, Honourable Minister of Tourism, Culture, Spirituality Department, Government of MP.
Indore, the cleanest city in the country has received the award for ‘Civic Management of a Tourist Destination in India’ (Category A). Shiv Mandir Bhojpur has received the award for ‘Best Maintained and Disabled Friendly Monument’. Devi Ahilya Bai Airport, Indore, has received the award for ‘Best Airport-Rest of India’. Excellence in Publishing-Hindi award for Bhatti Chitra of Malwa and Bhopal Brochure has received the award for ‘Best Tourism Promotion Publicity Material. Subhash Bhavre of Pench Reserve has received the award for ‘Best Wildlife Guide, Western-Central’. Courtyard House Homestay at village Patara, in Kanha National Park, Mandla has received the award for ‘Incredible India Bed and Breakfast Establishments Approved by State Government’. The state has received awards for the first time in the categories Clean Tourism Place– Western Region (Ujjain) and Incredible India Bed and Breakfast Establishment Approved by State Government (Courtyard Homestay, Mandla
In a huge endorsement of its sustainable tourism practices, Kerala was accorded the prestigious “Hall of Fame” status for being the Best State/UT in the category of ‘Comprehensive Development of Tourism for the fourth consecutive year at the National Tourism Awards 2018-19. Kozhikode’s District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) was adjudged the best in the category.
The National Tourism Awards are presented to various segments of the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, including State Governments in recognition of their performance in their respective fields and also to encourage healthy competition with an aim to promote tourism. These Awards have over the years emerged as a prestigious recognition of achievements in the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors.
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