Singapore, Apr 5: Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni today assured that she is trying for procuring Visa on arrival for international tourists. Noting the strong demand for visa on arrival by international travellers and people of Indian origin visiting their ancestral homes, Ms Soni said the government had worked out 100 per cent tax-free incentives for the private sector to invest in conservation projects in India.

''The tourism sector sees huge potential in the conservation of Indian heritage, architecture and artifacts, some of which are more than 5,000 years old,'' the minister added. Speaking to reporters here, she said her ministry was putting in a lot of efforts in developing tourism sector in the country, covering a wide range of areas, including the ongoing upgradation of some 40 ghats from Varanasi to Kolkata as tourist destinations.

Ms Soni said 20 new destinations were also being upgraded in scenic part of the country to promote the tourism sector. Supporting all these projects was the ministry's programme for manpower developments in the form of guides and public relation officers for managing tourists. Responding to questions on casino-based activities for tourism sector, she said the implementation of such projects were better left to the state governments.

UNI