The new policy guidelines will provide setting up of information kiosks at international airports, bus terminus and other strategic places in all major cities so that multi-purpose information including reservation of accommodation and transport could be provided to tourists.

Also CD-ROMs on important monuments and tourist spots will be prepared by the tourism ministry to provide desired information to visitors.

The final shape to the new policy would be given with active involvement from state tourism departments and industry.

For this, the minister of state for tourism Uma Bharati has convened a meeting of the tourism ministers of various states on November 22 where the draft policy which had been lying with ministry for quite some time would be discussed. She has also invited the representatives of the industry to take part in the discussions on the policy draft before giving it final touches.

Disclosing this at a CII seminar on `Role of Information Technology in Tourism' here on Wednesday, the minister of state for tourism Uma Bharati said, "To remain a key player in the next millennium, India has to tap netizens for tourism growth and urged the industry to set up an information technology consultancy apex body for tourism' to ensure proper and systematic application and monitoring of technology, best adapted for India's tourism needs and requirements.

She said her ministry was taking various steps to set up regional and national IT grids which would provide linkages to state governments, the hospitality industry, tour operators, travel agents, service providers to make bookings and get information.

Setting up of multi-media information kiosks at the airports and important tourist places, kiosks at airports where hotel reservations could be made, creating virtual reality CD-ROMs on important monuments, positioning data base visitor query system at tourist offices, production of thematic CD-ROMs and putting place a video conferencing system were the programmes launched by the tourism ministry, she said.

Bharati said the government and industry had to ponder over maximising it application for providing the fastest growth to the tourism industry.

"While an appreciable beginning has already been made by the ministry by setting up a world class web site, providing E-mail and internet to ministry officers and tourist officers and providing IVRS at the Delhi and Chennai tourism offices, a lot still needs to be done", she said.

On ministry's preparations for the year 2000 (Y2K) problem, she said adequate steps had been taken to meet the challenge.

Tourism secretary MP Bezbaruah who was also present on the occasion said that the government was considering a proposal to grant visa on arrival to tourists from certain countries.

"A proposal in this regard has already been sent to the Union home ministry for granting visa to tourists when they arrive at airports.

Bezbaruah said, home ministry was the final authority on this issue, adding that they had held a discussion with them last week.

Facility to grant such visa to tourists from certain countries works on a reciprocal basis and we have not specified the countries for which such facility should be extended, he added.