Punjab, UN body to put state’s tourism on global radar

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Chandigarh, Jun 6 : The Punjab government and United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) will jointly promote the state as a global tourist centre. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting between state chief minister Prakash Singh Badal and the visiting UN body delegation.

“Punjab has a rich and glorious cultural heritage, which could be packaged in by blending its cultural legacy into the modern concept of tourism,” said Badal.

The 10-member UNWTO team, headed by Richard Batchelor, went around the state, visiting potential sites of tourism, heritage and cultural interest, said chief minister’s media advisor Harcharan Bains.

After a detailed state-wide survey spread over several months, the team submitted a preliminary report to the chief minister, based on their observations along with recommendations on the formation of an inclusive and long-term policy to showcase Punjab as a front runner as a premier tourist destination not only on the national but also on the international circuit.

A final report of the UNWTO team was likely to be submitted by early September, 2008.

Batchelor briefed Badal on the latest concept of farm tourism, which is fast catching up in countries like Romania, Bulgaria and Hungry where lacs of tourists from United Kingdom and Germany visit every year. This is one of the major sources of revenue and foreign exchange for farm tourist destinations.

Badal asked the UN team to prepare a blue print for the development of Wagha-Attari border as a major tourist spot in the sub-continent. So much history, heritage, culture and economy is associated with this place that it can hardly fail to attract tourists from all over the world, especially those with an interest in the pre-independence history of the region. It is also close to Amritsar, where approximately 10,000 tourists visit daily to pay obeisance at the Golden temple.

Badal also urged the UNWTO team to explore the potential of around Chandigarh as destinations for leisure and village tourism.

“Punjab has a rich and glorious cultural heritage which could be packaged in a from the tourist angle through blending its cultural legacy into the modern concept of tourism”, said Badal.

Batchelor informed the chief minister that tourism in Punjab is primarily based on business travel, the diaspora of visiting friends and relatives and rediscovering their homeland, religious tourism and cultural heritage.