NEW DELHI: Awards for the most Film Promotion Friendly State/Union territory, tourism promotion and publicity and the best foreign journalist and photographer for India are among the various categories of the National Tourism Awards to be presented this month.

The awards for 2014-15 will be given away by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on 30 July 2016 at a function organized by the Tourism Ministry in the presence of Minister Mahesh Sharma.

The awards in Tourism Promotion and Publicity include Excellence in Publishing; Best Tourism Film; Best Tourism Promotion Publicity Material (produced by State/Union Territories and Private Stakeholders); and Most Innovative use of Information Technology – Social Media/ Mobile Apps.

An award for best film friendly state was introduced in the National Film Awards this year and was presented to Gujarat for 2015.

The Ministry annually presents National Tourism Awards to various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. These awards are presented to State Governments / Union Territories, classified hotels, heritage hotels, approved travel agents, tour operators and tourist transport operators, individuals and other private organizations in recognition of their performance in their respective fields and also to encourage healthy competition with an aim to promote tourism. The National Tourism Awards have over the years emerged as a prestigious recognition of achievements in the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors.

Other categories include awards for Comprehensive Development of Tourism; Best Civic Management of a Tourist Destination in India and in various categories for travel agents or tour operators, apart from awards for hotels in different categories and states and private entrepreneurs for various initiatives.