been extended to the nationals of 163 countries.
24x7 Toll Free Multi-Lingual Tourist Info Line
For providing information relating to Travel and Tourism to the domestic and international
tourists/visitors and for assisting them with advice while travelling in India, a 24x7 toll free
multi-lingual tourist info line in 10 international languages besides Hindi and English is being
run by the Ministry of Tourism. The calls made by tourists (both international and domestic)
while in India will be free of charge. This service will be available on the number 1800111363 or
on a short code 1363. The international languages handled are Arabic, French, German, Italian,
Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, in addition to English and Hindi
Niche Products
Welcome cards for distribution at immigration counters to people arriving in India were
introduced with few guidelines on how to make their stay more safe and comfortable. The aspect
of ’seasonality’ in tourism is a challenge. The Ministry of Tourism has taken the initiative of
identifying, diversifying, developing and promoting niche products of the country. This is done
in order to overcome seasonality and to promote India as a 365 days destination, attract tourists
with specific interest, and to ensure repeat visits for the unique products in which India has a
comparative advantage. The niche products that have been identified by the Ministry include
cruise, adventure, medical, wellness, golf, polo, meetings incentives conferences and expositions
(MICE), eco-tourism, film tourism and sustainable tourism.
National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board
A National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board has been set up to work as an umbrella
organisation to govern and promote medical tourism in India.
Task Force on Adventure Tourism
For development and promotion of adventure tourism, a task force on Adventure Tourism
was formed in 2016 to resolve the issues related to adventure tourism which includes safety and
security of tourists.
Hospitality Education
Setting in place the framework for supply of trained manpower is a challenge facing the
hospitality education. It has been the endeavour of the Ministry to put in place a system of
training and professional education, with necessary infrastructure support, capable of generating
manpower sufficient to meet the needs of the tourism and hospitality industry, both
quantitatively and qualitatively. As of now, there are 42 institutes of Hotel Management (IHMs),
comprising 21 Central IHMs and 21 state IHMs, and 10 Food Craft Institutes (FCIs), which have
come up with the support of the Ministry. These institutes were set up as autonomous societies
with the specific mandate to impart hospitality education/conduct training in hospitality skills.
While the IHMs mainly impart degree level hospitality education, the FCIs are concerned with
skill level education. National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology
(NCHMCT) steers and regulates the academic efforts of the IHMs and FCIs.
Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management
The Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) is an autonomous body