Better, safer roads can help double foreign tourists in India in next three years

NEW DELHI: The Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism K.J. Alphons stressed on the need of developing better and safer roads in the country to attract more global tourists. Delivering inaugural address at a two-day conference on ?Safer Road Transpiration to promote National Tourism? here , he said that “Better and safer roads in the country can help double foreign tourists in India in next three years.nnAbout Ten million international tourists visited India during the year 2017. Straightening Infrastructure and improving connectivity will bring more confidence among tourists to come to India”.nnHe opined that apart from improving road infrastructure, we need to be more tourist friendly and hospitality has to be in our DNA as it is in tourist destination like Thailand . The taxi drivers and Auto drivers need to be trained to be tourist friendly and charge fixed rates .They also need to be more regulated. Tourism ministry is planning to impart training to them in league with some corporate companies”, he said.nnThe minister also launched a “Tourist Felicitation guide ‘ for information of tourists as well as “code of practice for Taxi operators in India on the occasion.nnOver 100 road safety experts, professionals, government organisation?s and agencies active in road transport and tourism, transport officers from various states and UN official?s are taking part in the two- day conference. The conference is being organised by Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) in Association with Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) and Union Ministry of Tourism and culture along with Goodyear?s CSR initiative ?Safer Roads-Safer You?.