Centre has proposed to increase India's Share in International Tourist arrival from 0.68 percent to one per cent by 2016-17. <br/><br/>Addressing a meeting in New Delhi, Tourism Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma said, India's rich cultural, historical, religious and natural heritage provides a huge potential for development of tourism and job creation. <br/><br/>He said there is a need to raise the standards of existing tourist destinations and develop new tourism destinations of global standards with the integrated efforts of Central and State Governments.<br/><br/>Dr Sharma opined that religious tourism is an important segment of domestic tourism in the country and many important religions of the world have their major and minor pilgrimage centres in different parts of the country. <br/><br/>He said, better services and infrastructure facilities at pilgrim sites can enrich the spiritual experience of pilgrims.