Port Blair, Aug 11: The number of domestic as well as foreign tourist visits to the islands almost doubled during the last five years. During the last year, the tourist arrivals crossed 2. 5 lakhs, which was 1.36 lakhs in 2008. Replying to an unstarred question by the Member, D R Tripathi in Rajya sabha on Thursday last, the the Union Minister for Tourism, Dr K Chiranjeevi revealed that 2,38, 699 domestic tourists and 17,538 foreign tourists visited the islands during the year 2012, as compared to the visits of 2,02, 221 and 15,814 respectively during the year 2011.
In his reply tabled in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister stated that no tourism project has been sanctioned to the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar islands during the financial year 2012-13. He added that development and promotion of tourism destinations and products and implementation of various tourism projects is primarily the responsibility of the respective State Government/ Union Territory (UT) Administration. However, the Ministry of Tourism provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for tourism projects identified in consultation with them, subject to availability of funds, inter-se-priority and adherence to scheme guidelines. (PIB)
