Modi calls for India tourism pictures, receives thousands

NEW DELHI , June 3 (UPI) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is receiving messages by the thousands after he requested travel experiences of tourists in India.

"During the holiday season many of you would have gone to places. Many would be planning to do so now. Can you share your experiences with me? Do so using (the Twitter hashtag) #IncredibleIndia. Share photos, your experiences, etc. I will share your experiences with others as well. I don't know if you write a diary but you must write down your experiences. One should keep a diary while travelling, for it is another side of education," he told a radio audience Sunday, promoting the country's "Incredible India" tourism campaign.

Within minutes he received messages by the thousands from across India.

He also reminded listeners June 21 will be International Yoga Day, and noted the United Nations enthusiastically co-sponsored a resolution naming the day.

"Could you ever imagine that yoga will connect the world in this manner?' he asked.

This is not the first time Modi takes to social media, Twitter in particular, to communicate with the public. Last week during his first anniversary in office, the Hindu nationalist sent direct messages to all 12.5 million followers on Twitter, thanking them for their support. Modi took office May 26, 2014.

The "Incredible India" campaign was launched in 2002 by advertising agency Ogilvy Delhi, with the goal of increasing international tourism to India. It expanded its reach in 2008 to encourage Indian citizens to visit other parts of the country. It is credited with increasing tourism to India, which accounts for five to seven percent of the country's service economy, from 2.38 million visitors in 2002 to 5.5 million by 2010.