India witnessed nearly 16 per cent increase in foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) on medical visas in 2017, the government informed Parliament on Monday.

FTAs in India on medical visa during 2016 and 2017 were estimated at 4,27,014 and 4,95,056, respectively, registering a growth of 15.9 per cent in 2017, Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

Ramayana circuit

The Minister also said that two projects worth over ₹150 crore have been sanctioned in the last two years under the Ramayana circuit.

The Tourism Ministry has identified 15 destinations for development under the circuit which include Ayodhya, Nandigram, and Sitamarhi. Under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, the Ministry has sanctioned 73 projects with Central financial assistance of ₹5,873.26 crore covering 30 States and Union Territories.

Heritage adoption

Answering another question, Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma said 10 monuments have been adopted under the ‘Adopt A Heritage’ project.

The scheme, launched in September 2017, is a collaborative effort by the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India, State/UTs governments.

It envisages development and maintenance of tourist amenities at heritage sites and making them tourist-friendly, to enhance tourism potential and cultural importance in a planned manner.

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