'Festival Tourism': PM urges people to popularise Indian festivals in Mann Ki Baat

New Delhi: As the country is celebrating Diwali today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pitched the idea of "Festival Tourism" and said that we must try to popularise our festivals and invite people from other states and countries to join the festivities.

Speaking on 58th edition of his monthly radio program 'Mann ki Baat', he said: "Festival tourism has its own exciting attractions globally. India is the land of festivals that presents immense possibilities for festival tourism."

"We must try to popularise our festivals such as Holi, Diwali, Onam, Pongal or Bihu and it must be our endeavour to ensure that we should welcomingly invite people from other states and countries to join in the festivities. Every state and religion in our country has their own festivals and people from foreign countries have a keen interest in them," the Prime Minister said.

Modi also underlined that Indians living abroad have an important role in boosting festival tourism in the country.