National
Central government to promote tourism via digital, social media: Official
Lucknow, Feb 16 (IANS) Buoyed by the steep rise in the number of foreign tourist arrivals (FTA) in the country last year, the Union Tourism Ministry will be aggressively marketing domestic religious circuits and adventure tourism through digital and social media, an official said on Friday.
Interacting with the media in the state capital after reviewing the tourism growth and projects in northern states, Union Tourism Secretary Rashmi Verma said the central government is keen to tap to the maximum the potential offered by its tourist sites.
“We have in the past been focussing on the print and television mediums but now on we would aggressively be using the digital, online and social media to attract both domestic and foreign tourists,” she added.
Under the campaign – Dekho Apna Desh, the Indian diaspora will also be targeted in a big way, the official said.
She added that in 2017, the FTAs grew by 15.6 per cent which was much higher than the 4-5 per cent logged in other countries. Verma said that several audio-visual campaigns to increase the tourist footfalls would soon be unveiled.
With tourism contributing 7 per cent to India’s GDP and 12 per cent in total job creations, it is being accorded top priority by the union government, the official stated.
The second version of the Incredible India campaign, she added, would target the domestic market and informed that parleys were held in the state capital with travel and tour majors to find ways to further fine tune it.
She said that a new mobile application and a new, user friendly, personalized website of the campaign was also underway.
Pointing out that the opening of the e-visas for 163 countries had been a major trade booster for the tourism industry, Verma said that many private players like JMR and Yatra and public sector undertakings like the NTPC were adopting tourism sites.
Under the ‘Swadesh Darshan’ scheme of the central government 60 projects are already on the roll in Uttar Pradesh and Rs 480 crore have been sanctioned for the same, while under the ‘Prasad’ scheme’ five projects have begun with Rs 150 crore being sanctioned. Kumbh Mela, to take place in Allahabad in 2019, would also be pitched at the international level in a big way and specific events held to promote it at events like ITB in Berlin in March.
Principal Secretary (Tourism) government of Uttar Pradesh, Avaneesh Kumar Awasthi told the media that a tourism policy would soon be unveiled by the state in which other than provisions of capital subsidy, identification of new tourism circuits will be announced. He also informed that before the ‘Investors Summit’ slated for February 21-22 in Lucknow, 27 MoUs have been inked in the tourism sector. He also said that 11 bidders have come forward for the helicopter rides to prominent tourist spots proposed by the state government.
Like the Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya last year, Awasthi said that Holi will be celebrated in style at Mathura this year. Earlier, the Union Tourism Secretary held meetings with the state Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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