Seeking higher budgetary allocation for expansion of tourism infrastructure, Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi today called on Finance Minister P Chidambaram and pressed for assistance for setting up convention centres across the country.
The Tourism Minister requested the Finance Minister for additional allocation for the Ministry to set up 10 convention-cum-exhibition centres for the promotion of MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions) tourism.
The Finance Minister sought more details from the Tourism Ministry about these convention centers and promised to look into the request, said a senior Tourism Ministry official.
The Ministry has got Rs 1297.66 crores as budgetary allocation in the 2013-14, Rs 87.66 cr more than the last fiscal.
Highlighting the importance of tourism sector, Chiranjeevi said it contributes more than 6 per cent of the GDP of the country, more than 10 per cent of organised employment in the country and about USD 18 million in foreign exchange.
