By designating the year 1967 as the International Tourist Year, the United Nations General Assembly, in its XXIst Session, has given to Tourism the recognition and the fillip it richly deserves. The U.N. Resolution, sponsored at the suggestion of the International Union of Official Travel Organisations, has been enthusiastically acclaimed by all the member-countries; particularly by India, where the people love to share the myriad joys of their sun-lit land with the tourist from abroad.
Vast and diverse, India has something special to offer everyone; for the natural scientist, the rich variety of her flora and fauna; for the archaeologist, the carefully preserved relics of her hoary past, for the artist, the treasured pieces of art dating back to thousands of years, the marvels of sculpture and the imperishable frescoes surviving the ravages of time; the towering temples of stone which only craftsmen moved by a religious passion could have built; the Taj, the greatest monument to love ever created; the scores of architectural gems strewn over practically every region; the exquisite workmanship in metal, clay and precious stone; the fabulous handmade brocades and silks; for the hunter, an endless variety of big and small game; for the tourist in search of tranquility is the scenic splendour of India, the snow-clad peaks, the rugged ranges smiling on the open valleys, the rivers and the green fields, the blue sky and the brilliant sunshine; and finally, the people, drawn from different racial stocks fused into one nation; the ordinary man with his simple sense of art and beauty, his love of song and music, his patience and fortitude and his striving to catch up with modern age. Thus our country has everything to offer for a discerning tourist.
The theme of the International Tourist Year is “Tourism—Passport to Peace”. It is but appropriate that India as a peace loving nation should actively participate in this great objective. A nationwide publicity campaign is being launched to create an awareness within the country of the importance of tourism. The Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department is happy to associate itself with the International Tourist Year by issuing a commemorative stamp on the 19th March, 1967.
Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India