October 25, 2011 4:30:01 am
Stating that tough visa regimes are one of the biggest obstacles to the growth of the tourism industry,Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai has urged nations to make their visa regulations more tourist-friendly.
Sahai was speaking at the three-day annual conference of tourism ministers of G-20 countries in Paris. He said it was important that countries and all stakeholders in the tourism industry work together towards ensuring a barrier-free or at least lesser-barrier travel to international tourists.
Incidentally,India itself has relaxed its visa policy in the last two years,allowing for the first time visa-on-arrival facility for a group of countries. The facility has received encouraging response and is likely to be extended to more countries in a phased manner.
Sahai said tourism was a big generator of employment worldwide. In India itself,it was expected to create 25 million additional jobs in the next five years. Tourism plays a vital role in creating job opportunities for all strata of society, he was quoted as saying in a government statement.
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