First we have to love ourselves and love India: Tourism Minister K Alphons

Newly appointed Union Minister K Alphons took over the charge of Tourism Ministry on Monday. He also assumed the charge of the office the Minister of State (MoS) in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (IT).

"There is a lot of potential in our tourism sector but first we will have to love ourselves and love India then we can attract tourists from other countries," he said, assuming the charge of the Tourism Ministry.

The outgoing Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma was present on the occasion to hand over the charge of the Ministry to Alphons. Alphons, a bureaucrat-turned-politician from Kerala, was appointed as the Tourism Minister (independent charge) and given an additional portfolio of the Minister of State for Electronics in the Narendra Modi government's cabinet reshuffle on Sunday.

Sharma, who retained the Culture Ministry portfolio in the cabinet rejig, was shifted to Environment and Forest Ministry from the Ministry of Tourism. Taking over the charge of the Tourism Ministry, Alphons said that his induction to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Council of Ministers came as a "pleasant surprise" to him.

"It's a big responsibility and incredible job to be done," he said. He took the oath of his offices as MoS with independent charge of the Tourism Ministry and MoS, Electronics and IT, on Sunday.

“Welcoming Mr. @KJAlphons to @tourismgoi. His decades of public service experience shall be an asset to Ministry of Tourism. I wish him all the best for new role & extend my full support to take tourism to new heights as we embark on our journey to #NewIndia,” Sharma tweeted.

Alphons assumed the charge of Tourism Ministry at a time when work on many of the key projects of the Ministry including the development of religious tourism circuits is in progress at a snail's pace.

“Minister of State @GoI_MeitY Alphons Kannanthanam met me. He is joining on the occasion of Onam.We will work together. My best wishes to him,” Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad tweeted.