Renuka renews demand for tourism in Concurrent List

By including Tourism in the Concurrent List, the Union Tourism Ministry will be given powers to legislate with the states. Today, this privilege is only with the states, with the Centre playing the role of 8216;8216;mentor.8217;8217;

Chowdhury is vexed by the dismal efforts by State Tourism Ministries to boost tourism, which send proposals 8216;8216;that do not go beyond building roads to a monument.8217;8217; She is determined to get the Finance Ministry to begin asking state governments some pertinent questions. 8216;8216;Where does all the money go,8217;8217; asks Chowdhury. 8216;8216;They have huge budgets but there has not been a single interesting proposal from the states. It is time state governments realise tourism is the third largest revenue-earner after Industry and IT.8217;8217;

Meanwhile, Chowdhury has already held a high-level meeting with officials from the Surface Transport Ministry, including the minister, and has proposed wide ranging changes to promote 8216;8216;cruise tourism.8217;8217; Says Chowdhury, 8216;8216;The cruise sector earns the 14 billion annually. The outbound tourist from India for cruises is 40-50,000 a year. It is time cruise tourism in the country took a quantum leap.8217;8217;