India will launch a massive campaign in the US on Saturday to promote itself as a global tourist destination.
Christened as "India Calling", the two-day campaign would be organised in Los Angeles by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with National Geographic.
Various road show, photo exhibitions, handicraft festival and cultural show would showcase India's tourism potential, a senior Tourism Ministry official said.
Guests in the event would be served Indian delicacies as part of a cuisine programme jointly organised by the ministry and Experience India Society in Los Angeles.
In 2004, 5,26,120 tourists from the US had visited India and their number rose to 6,96,739 in 2006.
Several Indian artistes will also participate in the programme, the official said.
The campaign was earlier supposed to be inaugurated by Tourism Minister Kumari Selja. However, she has cancelled her programme to travel to the US due to impending Haryana Assembly elections.
The official said similar promotional programmes would be launched in Australia, Russia and Dubai soon.
India has witnessed a dip in the foreign tourist arrival as 32.57 lakh overseas travellers visited the country from January to August this year against 35.40 lakh during the same period last year.
{{/usCountry}}India has witnessed a dip in the foreign tourist arrival as 32.57 lakh overseas travellers visited the country from January to August this year against 35.40 lakh during the same period last year.
{{/usCountry}}However, the revenue from such tourism rose to Rs 4,115 crore in August 2009 from Rs 3,226 crore in the same month last year.