<span style="color: #222222;">Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy has said that the revival of the tourism sector is on the anvil and the Central Government will help tour operators and tourist guides impacted by the slowdown of the sector due to the pandemic. Speaking on the sidelines of the Southern Region Conference of Tourism and Culture in Bengaluru today the minister said that the new National Tourism Policy under consideration will address the problems faced by the sector. <br />''<br />''The minister informed that it is proposed to appoint a senior officer in 20 foreign missions of India to promote tourism. The said officer will liaison with agencies abroad to facilitate information on the tourist destinations in India, boarding, lodging and connectivity issues. The minister noted that this will provide necessary access to information to the tourists abroad. <br />''<br />''He also added that it is decided to waive off visa fees to five lakh tourists visiting India. Apart from this the number of countries with e-visa and visa on arrival facilities will be expanded. To attract domestic tourists, the Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes are being implemented that will improve infrastructure and promote pilgrimage tourism. The Tourism minister also informed that efforts to improve air, rail and road connectivity are intensified. <br />''<br />''The two days Southern region conference was attended by Union Minister of State for Tourism Ajay Bhatt, Union minister of state for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L Murugan, Union minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagawant Khuba and the tourism and Culture ministers from Karnataka, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Union Territory of Pondicherry.</span><br />