New Delhi: Seeking to attract those seeking spiritual enlightenment, Indian tourism authorities said on Monday that they plan to highlight the country's rich Buddhist heritage on the 2,550th anniversary of the Buddha's birth under the campaign "Come to India, Walk with the Buddha".
The emphasis will be on "spiritual" tourism that is "aimed at uplifting the soul and finding peace by following in the footsteps of the Buddha," said a top Indian tourism official, Amitabh Kant.
Despite its proximity to countries with sizeable Buddhist populations, such as Japan and Thailand, India has not been able to attract a large number of Buddhist tourists -- a fact widely attributed to bad air connections, potholed roads and inadequate hotels.
However, tourism authorities hope to change the image with a 55-billion rupee plan to upgrade roads, highways and hotels around 22 Buddhist sites, particularly Bodh Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda in eastern India, Kant said.
