India's focus on tourism is not only to attract tourists but also to create employment and attract Forex

New Delhi [India], December 25 (ANI): India is devising tourism-focused initiatives to not only attract tourists but also create employment and attract foreign exchange, as published in the yearend data shared by the Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday. According to the Ministry's data, India recorded 18.89 million international tourist arrivals in 2023. Foreign exchange earnings (FEEs) through tourism during 2023 surged to Rs 231,927 crore.In the same year, about 2509 million domestic tourists visited different tourism sites, the ministry stated. The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned a total of 76 projects for an amount of Rs 5287.90 crore under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, out of which 75 projects are physically complete.The Ministry has revamped its Swadesh Darshan Scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) with the objective to develop sustainable and responsible destinations following a tourist- and destination-centric approach. The ministry added that about 34 new projects have been sanctioned for Rs 793.20 crore under SD2.0.The Ministry has sanctioned a total of 48 projects for an amount of Rs 1646.99 crore under the PRASHAD Scheme, out of which 23 projects have been completed.Under the Assistance to Central Agencies Scheme, 65 projects totalling Rs 937.56 crore have been approved; 38 of these projects have been physically finished, the ministry stated.The Ministry stated that as a follow-up to the Budget Announcements 2024-25, a total of 40 projects across 23 states have been sanctioned for an amount of Rs. 3295.76 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI)--Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale to infuse long-term interest-free loans for a period of 50 years to states for the comprehensive development of iconic tourist centres in the country and branding and marketing them on a global scale.Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office stated in a social media post, "The central government is also constantly trying to increase facilities for all tourists from the country and abroad."The Tourism Ministry launched a national responsible tourism initiative by the name of 'Paryatan MitraParyatan Didi' on 27th September 2024, World Tourism Day, to enable tourism as a vehicle for social inclusion, employment, and economic progress as well as to elevate the overall experience for tourists in destinations by having them meet 'tourist-friendly' people who are proud ambassadors and storytellers for their destination.The Ministry of Tourism enabled the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between eight leading hospitality chains and 21 Institutes of Hotel Management. This partnership aims to leverage the expertise of private hotel chains to provide students with exposure to the industry's best practices, enhancing their employability and ensuring that tourists visiting India receive top-quality services, the Tourism Ministry added. (ANI)