Bangalore, July 18 (UNI) Providing significant impetus to Tourism has helped Gujarat garner higher tourist arrivals this year, with arrival of foreign tourists increasing four folds during the first quarter of this year.

Gujarat had attracted 26,670 foreigners during the first quarter of January-March this year, as against a mere 6,861 registered during the corresponding period the previous year. In the domestic front, the tourist arrivals increased by 66 per cent to touch 2.9 million during the quarter as against 1.7 million recorded during the same period last year.

Talking to reporters here today, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Chairman Kamlesh Patel said his state attracted about 7.7 million tourists annually.

Leading a roadshow on Gujarat Tourism, he said the budget for tourism had been increased ten fold to Rs 100 crore this year from a mere Rs 10 crore last year and the Government was going all out to enhance private investment in infrastructure, especially hotels, he added.

He informed that a new tourism policy had been put in place to attract private sector investment. Incentives included various tax holidays.

Gujarat Tourism Managing Director P D Vaghela said various government sectors had also committed an investment of Rs 400 crore, He also informed that the Global Investors Meet to be held in February next year would see tourism as a major potential investment sector, apart from the manufacturing sector.

Mr Patel said Gujarat was celebrating 2006 as a tourism year and Navratri Festival beginning on September 23 would be celebrated on a mega scale. Cultural troupes from Israel, South Asian Countries, Europe and the United States would be performing during the festivities to be held in Gujarat. A desert festival would also be held in Kutch from October five for three days, he added.

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