Tourist info system runs into trouble

The advance passenger information system for international tourists has run into infrastructural bottlenecks, a tourism ministry official has said.

"There is a requirement of greater bandwidth (with respect to Internet connectivity) at the immigration counters, which at present are in extremely bad state. This has delayed installation of this mechanism," he said.

The tourism ministry has written to the home ministry, seeking help on the matter. "The home ministry can ask the National Informatics Centre, under the ministry of information technology, to do the needful as soon as possible," the official added.

The mechanism, to allow foreign passengers to get advance clearance at international airports, was to be implemented from October 1. Following this mechanism, passenger details will reach the destination airport when passengers board an international flight to India.

This will allow quick screening of visitors and help in airport security checks, thereby boosting tourism in the country.

Minister of State for Tourism Renuka Choudhury had announced government clearance for the mechanism in August. In 2004-05, the tourism sector revenue at Rs 5,500 crore made it the third largest revenue earner with an annual budget allocation of Rs 786 crore. Tourist arrivals grew by 27 per cent to 3.3 million.

To give a fillip to the sector, the ministry is pushing for developing infrastructure and promotional activities.

It plans to identify top 10-15 destinations and focus on infrastructure as well. The ministry is focusing on a roadmap to create around 1.5 lakh new rooms over the next 4-5 years in keeping with the sector's growth.

This will also help accommodate visitors for the Commonwealth Games. It is also working towards finalising guidelines for guesthouses and "stay home" segments.