"Life of Pi" to receive Indian Tourism award

The Indian government hopes to tame the dragon with the help of 'Life of Pi' directed and written by Ang Lee and Yann Martel respectively.

The Indian tourism minister Chiranjeevi on Saturday announced that the writer and director of this film are going to be  awarded the national tourism award for the impact their film has made in promoting India as a tourist destination.ith this and the ministry hopes to target the so far indifferent Chinese tourists to their fold. The film has been a roaring success in China, raking in $16 million in its opening weekend itself. 


China is one of the largest tourism markets in the world, but India has barely received a fraction of Chinese tourists. Recent data shows that of the around 50 million Chinese who travel overseas every year spending some $40 billion, less than lakh travel to India on business and tourism. Plans that are on the anvil include 'Life of Pi' tour packages for Puducherry and Munnar (Kerala), where the film has been shot, easy availability of Chinese-speaking guides, virtual tour of the two places and a website in Mandarin.

Source:Times of India