Documentation Update-June 2002 - Equitable Tourism Options

____ _____________D_?_RThe Committee believes that Tourism Promotion, instead of being viewed as asource of revenue, deserves consideration as a tool of National Integration,Employment Generation, as a possible means of building global goodwill and todisseminate better understanding of India. (Avoid delays in tourism promotion projects:PA C, BL, 12/1 2/01)There is a move to further decentralise the issue and receipt of passport applicationforms through the offices of Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police.Addressing an interactive meeting organised by the travel and trade segment ofthe Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mr Bagchi saidpassport application forms are now issued and accepted at 18 Speed Post countersall over the State including three in Bangalore city and hence it is not necessaryfor an applicant to come to the Regional Passport Office. In addition, the RPO hastwo extension counters in Mangalore and Gulbarga. Further, the Passport Officenow also has a scheme for on-line registration, but this facility is grossly underutilisedas only 10 to 15 on-line registrations are made every day.Mr Swamy, President, FKCCI has requested that submission of passports by travelagents on Wednesdays be allowed as is done al\ over India. (Passport office plansfu rther decentralisatioll, DH, 19/1 2/01 )B20 Tourism Legislation, Rules, Regulations, Acts I' .. .. 'fl,' , '." •Entry fee to tombs and historical monuments will soon be rationalised in keepingwith demands of tourists and domestic tour operators. The To urism Ministry isworking out a fee package that will give discounts to tourists who visit severalmonuments in the country. The ministry is making a package for one, two andthree days, one week and one month to rationalise fee structure. Concessions suchas free entry for students and for those below age of 14 will be given. The entryfee was raised from Rs 2-4 to Rs 5-10 for domestic tourists and $5-10 for thosefrom abroad. (Tollrist-friendly ell try fee to mO/IU/1lCllts, IE, 14/ 2/01)B30 Indian Tourism Development Corporation ' • • ., , .Amitabh Kant has been brought by the centre into the Union Tourism Ministry asjoint secretary and chairman-managing director of the ITDC (Amitabh Kant appointednew CMD-ITDC, Girish Rao, ET, 27/7/01)DisinvestmentGovernment has received 175 applications from various bidders for the first trancheof disinvestment in eight major hotels owned by ITDC. In December 2000, theGovernment invited EoI for ITDC's hotel chain, Ashok Group of Hotels located inDelhi and Bangalore, for operating on a long-term structured contract on a leasecum-managementbasis. Government had also invited bids for the sale of AshokHotels properties located in Agra, Madurai, Manali, Bodhgaya, Hassan andMamallapuram. The Disinvestment Commission had recommended divestment ofup to 74 per cent of ITDC's equity in the current fiscal by leasing out hotels,demerger of ITDC hotels in small towns and spinning them into separate companiesbefore the sell-off. (ITDC divestl/lent: 1 75 bids received, DH, 1 6/2/01).With the completion of most of the formalities for the first tranche, theGovernment has gone ahead and invited bids for the second round ofdisinvestments in ITDC properties. The properties for which the bids are invitedwould be either sold or leased on a long-term. (Bids invited for secolld rounddivestment ill ITDC, BL, 9/2/01)9