India, Sept. 26 -- The world over, tourism is seen as a transformative force which serves as a key growth engine of an economy with creation of jobs, foreign exchange earnings and development of infrastructure. Tourism also plays an important role in bridging cultures, preserving traditions and supporting restoration of heritage sites with people to people contact.

As we celebrate World Tourism Day today, India has emerged as the top choice for tourists across the world and the tourism sector has seen exponential growth over the past 11 years under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As India has taken its unique heritage to the world, 13 new sites have been added to Unesco's list of world heritage properties in the...