Plan afoot to get landmarks on UNESCO list, says Sidhu

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 5

Chairing a meeting, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu here today announced working out a comprehensive plan to get major landmarks included in the World Heritage Sites of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

A special effort will be made in coordination with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to promote specific sites. Sidhu said Punjab had a glorious cultural heritage to showcase to the world. He said the state had the potential to emerge as the frontline destination on the world tourism map. He laid stress on connecting tourism with specially designed portals on the internet.

Sidhu said with an average 1.25 lakh visitors daily, Amritsar has a great potential for emerging as a tourism destination as the city, besides Golden Temple, also had Durgiana Mandir, Jallianwala Bagh, War Memorial, Wagah-Attari Border and Gobindgarh Fort.

Sidhu said if Pathankot airport gets operationalised, then the area around the Ranjit Sagar dam could be developed as a prime centre of adventure sports.

The minister also floated the idea of connecting three Takhts and other religious places in Punjab through a circuit, which could lead to rapid increase in the number of devotees. 

He laid emphasis on bolstering tourism through folk music, instruments, traditional festivals and craft items. 

He said the state government would soon bring out a cultural policy which would give a huge boost to the tourism sector.