New Delhi: Encouraging travel and emphasising on India's has a huge potential in tourism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed to citizens to visit at least 15 tourist destinations in the country by 2022.
Addressing the country from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 73rd Independence Day, he urged people to focus on domestic tourism rather than jumping to visit exotic foreign destinations.
Modi said, "India has so much to offer. I know people travel abroad for holidays. But can we think of visiting at least 15 tourist destinations across India before 2022, when we mark 75 years of freedom?"
The prime minister has made this request despite the fact that many Indian destinations are still lacking basic amenities like comfortable accommodation.
He said that he was aware that there were many tourist destinations which do not have hotels or other infrastructures. He believes that once the footfall at these places increases, hoteliers and businesspeople will soon start investing there to provide facilities.
"But visiting such places will boost tourism in these areas and automatically lead to better facilities," he added.