Kuwait aspires to have tourism become a vibrant aspect of economic growth and an integral component in the country's drive to diversify its sources of national income, said an official on Saturday.

To achieve such an end, Kuwait has charted out a national strategy to create and develop tourist destinations worthy of the tourist's time and interest, said Minister of Information and State Minister for Youth Affairs and President of the National Council for Arts and Letters Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, marking the World Tourism Day, which falls on Sept. 27 of each year.

To demonstrate the government's seriousness about promoting a tourism industry in the nation, it (i.e. the government) has brought back in its fold the former department of tourism, which had been rendered a separate entity for some years, said the minister.

Underscoring the reasonable possibility of Kuwait attracting enormous hordes of tourists to its shores, the minister cited the example of the successful holding of the yearly tourist-oriented festival known as Hello February, which, he noted, attracted huge crowds of tourists from around the region.

He said at the present time there is an earnest inclination to promote Kuwait as a possible tourist destination, as evidenced in such locations and events as Expo Milano 2015 and the Scientific Center, among others. The private sector is also making commendable efforts in that regard, he added.

Noting that the theme of this year's World Tourism Day is "One Billion Tourists, One Billion Opportunities," the minister acknowledged the economic dividends a country could reap from a viable tourist industry, citing international organizations such as the World Bank, the UNESCO and others that see tourism as an essential factor in bringing closer together the world's civilizations and cultures.