Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel Urges Tour and Travel Operators to Register on the NIDHI Portal

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Marketing | December 19, 2020 | News

Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) International Convention Prahlad Singh Patel

Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (Independent Charge) Prahlad Singh Patel has called upon all tour and travel operators in the country to register themselves on the Ministry’s portal National Integrated Database of Hospitality Industry (NIDHI). He said that the Tourism Ministry is making efforts to register accommodation units available in India on the portal for the benefit of tourists. Till date, around 32,000 accommodation units have been registered on the portal, activated earlier this year. The process is under way to have extensive information related to tourism, such as details about hotels and other facilities at tourist destinations, tours and travels, on the portal, he added.

Patel was speaking at the virtual inauguration of the Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) International Convention – a three-day event held in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism from December 10 to 12 in Bodhgaya, Bihar.

During the event, the Tourism Minister said that the Government has been making special efforts over the last six years to promote Buddhist tourism in the country. Highlighting several measures undertaken in this regard, he mentioned the Swadesh Darshan Scheme and Prashad Yojana. “The Ministry has sanctioned more than Rs 350 crore for the development of Buddhist sites under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme and more than Rs 900 crore have been sanctioned under the Prashad scheme,” he said.

Talking about other steps taken by the Government, Patel said, “Signages in Sinhali language at the Sanchi monument in Madhya Pradesh and signages in Chinese language at Sravasti and Sarnath have also been installed. We have decided that wherever footfalls of foreign tourists from a particular country is more than one lakh, signages in their languages will be placed for their convenience and comfort.”

“The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is re-listing our monuments and in the coming days, the number of monuments may increase significantly. The Government is trying to provide tourist facilitators at significant locations to give correct information to tourists. Stakeholders, share your inputs and any difficulty being faced with the Ministry of Tourism and we will take them as suggestions and try our best to resolve them,” he added.