NEW DELHI (PTI) — Destination-oriented tourism parks are being planned across the India to attract more tourists and keep them at a destination for a longer period.

The tourism parks will be developed based on the theme park model with all facilities including hotels, convention centers, shopping complexes, food courts and entertainment facilities required for tourists. 

“We have tourist sites, but we do not have anything to hold tourists at a particular site for two-three days. The question is how to hold tourists for a longer period,” said Indian Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai. 

Noting there there’s no interesting evening activity near tourist sites, Sahai said, “If you want to have a glimpse of India, then you can’t. In Delhi there is a light and sound show at Red Fort. There is nothing except that.”

“So we want to create tourism parks to hold tourists for a longer period. The parks have to be developed on a business model. It would have to be a destination oriented tourism park, which will have a theme park, an amusement park, convention centers, a wellness center and a shopping complex, among other facilities at the destination,” he said.

The tourism park is likely to be developed through the public-private participation mode, with the land being provided by the government or a private partner. 

Sahai said the tourism industry has a high employment-generating capacity. 

“According to the Planning Commission, if you spend Rs. 10 lakh on a site, then you are creating job opportunities for 80 people directly or indirectly,” he said. “If we can increase only 0.5 percent of inbound tourists, then it would create three crore job opportunities,” he said.

The Tourism Ministry is seeking an increase in fund allocation for the sector in the 12th Five-Year Plan. Rs. 5,000 crore was allocated to the tourism sector in the 11th plan.