Kapil to boost tourism

Cricketing legend Kapil Dev Nikhanj has landed a new job -- promoting tourism. And he is as passionate about it as he was about hitting sixes and fours or hurling lethal outswingers. And now, it seems, he has finally been able to find himself a vocation he likes.

Mincing no words, he told a meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi on Friday afternoon that he would like to become an ambassador of tourism. ``That is the least I can do for my country'' he said in response to a question.

Recognising the need for having a ``brand ambassador'' for Indian tourism, CII had organised the ``Dev Talk on Tourism'' at a five- star hotel here. ``If we put our heads together, our country can give the world a different look,'' Kapil said.

Right from the beginning, Kapil was comfortable with the new role thrust upon him. ``What we do not have in this country is the right attitude,'' he observed, even as someone asked whether he would also address children on this issue. ``Why children? I need to address even adults,'' he quipped.

As a citizen concerned with the future of tourism, Kapil said better infrastructure was the sine qua non of improving tourism in the country. ``We should create better conditions for people to come,'' he noted, even as he disagreed with a member of the audience that sports tourism can thrive here.

``You can only promote sports tourism in a country if your sports is upto international standards. Unfortunately, we do not have such level of sportspersons here,'' he said. ``Of course, there have been exceptions.''

As regards his personal travels around the country, Kapil said there were thousands of tourist spots where he would love to go again and again. ``I love Kerala, Srinagar and Himachal Pradesh. Good beaches, hill stations -- this country has everything,'' he said. It was to these places that he owed part of his physical and mental fitness.

His brief talk was as much an exercise in whipping up patriotism as in promoting tourism. The continuous emphasis on patriotism even seemed a little out of place at times. ``We should have the passion for doing good to our country,'' he said. ``We have the best temples, best beaches in the world. What we lack is proper attitude.''

Even as Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur, Chairman of CII National Committee on Tourism and Heritage, agreed that promoting tourism cannot be left to the government alone, Kapil turned to the battery of media-persons, especially press-photographers covering the event, and said: ``The media is a very important partner.''

By K. Kannan

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