RAJPIPLA: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said that international tourist footfall in India will increase if Indian tourism is promoted by people by way of sharing their experiences about the places they visit.

EAM Jaishankar was talking to reporters in Rajpipla on the 2nd day of his 2-day Gujarat tour, during which he visited the villages adopted by him under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana in Narmada, a tribal-dominated district.

There are many things in our nation that we ourselves are unaware of, and even when we are, we don't share them with others. Only when domestic tourism grows will international travel grow, said Dr. Jaishankar.  "If we see people giving examples, enjoying the place, sending out messages, and sharing experiences [about a place], then it will have an impact on the public," he said.

The Minister stated that there is a significant opportunity for tourism in Narmada, which is connected by road to Kevadia, the location of the Statue of Unity, the highest statue in the world. "We should promote this place, and there is a huge possibility for tourism in the region," he added.

Sharing his experiences in the region, the Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat mentioned that when he stopped for dinner last night, he felt like he was at a hill station. "If I told people I went to a hill station in Gujarat, they would not believe me as they do not associate Gujarat with a hill station," he said.

Dr. S Jaishankar spent time at the Chhotubhai Purani College of Physical Education's sports complex earlier in the day. The Minister paid a visit to the villages he adopted under the Sansad Adarsh Gramme Yojana on May 26. While there, he performed the groundbreaking ceremony for two "smart anganwadis," inspected health and wellness facilities, stopped by the Ekta Skill Development Centre, and interacted with local residents.

Dr. Jaishankar also visited a mobile X-ray van granted to the people under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development  Scheme in 2020 and saw women at Nari Shakti Kendra make sustainable products.

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