AAP government to project Delhi as go-to place for tourists

NEW DELHI: In order to exploit the potential of tourism in the national capital, Delhi government has decided to promote the city as a tourist-friendly heritage city on various social media platforms. For this, the tourism department is likely to hire an agency with expertise in social media promotion.
The department has chalked out a plan wherein promotional activities like initiatives to showcase monuments and other tourist destinations through social media would be undertaken.

“The department is taking a number of steps to attract more and more foreign and domestic tourists. As part of this vision, an agency will be entrusted to brand Delhi as a tourist-friendly city on social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc,” said an official. Sources said that the promotional activities on social media are likely to begin by September.

The department’s ambitions to get a larger footprint on social media is inspired by governments of different states like Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, and the aggressive branding of the potential of tourism by several countries on social media.

According to the plan, Delhi would be branded as a symbol of the country’s rich past, its thriving present and a destination where the ancient and modern blend seamlessly together.

Key destinations like India Gate, Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Akshardham Temple, Lotus Temple, Birla Mandir, Jama Masjid and Red Fort would be among the most showcased sites on social media platforms.

“Under the branding programme, short videos, pictorials, and radio jingles would be widely used,” said an official.

When the AAP government came to power, it had invited “innovative” ideas from bureaucrats, who have travelled to foreign countries, to make Delhi an international tourist destination and increase the time tourists stay in the city by giving them more options to explore the heritage city.