Need tougher laws to ensure safety to tourists: Union minister

Noida: Union minister EMS Natchiappan on Wednesday said that laws should be made stricter to ensure safe and secure environment for visitors in the country. “For ages India has been attracting tourists with its ancient monuments, knowledge treasury scenic beauty and other attractions,” Natchiappan, the minister of State for Commerce and Industry said while inaugurating a seminar on tourism in Amity University. “Framing of strict and new laws alone cannot ensure everything. Their implementation has to be made better and stricter,” he said.  Shivendra Tomar, Director, IFCI, who was also present on the occasion, said ,“Out of 65 lakh foreign tourists that visited India last year, 15-16% were from USA, 12-13% were from UK. Tomar said that archaic laws in India such as Sarai Act, 1962 governing the hotel industry needs to be revised. He asked the citizens of the country to follow “Athithi Devo Bhava” in letter and spirit and suggested that concerted efforts by government- Central and state, tourism sector and society need to make India a preferred tourist destination. PTI