Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi called on Union Finance Minister P. Chidambram and urged him for higher budgetary allocation for Tourism Ministry. Chiranjeevi told the Finance Minister that the tourism sector directly and indirectly contributes to more than six per cent of the GDP of the country, more than 10 per cent of organised employment in the country and roughly US$18 million in foreign exchange. Thus, one percentage increase in tourism earnings results in a 0.1 per cent increase in the GDP of the country.
The Tourism Minister requested the Finance Minister for additional allocation for Tourism Ministry to set up 10 convention-cum-exhibition centres across the country for the promotion of MICE tourism. The Finance Minister sought more details from the Tourism Ministry about these convention centres and promised to look into the request.
