New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS): The government Tuesday urged all stakeholders in the tourism industry to ensure that tourism development shouldn't come at the cost of "over-exploiting" natural resources for short-term gains.

Speaking at the launch of Comprehensive Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India (STCI), Tourism and Culture minister Shripad Yesso Naik said the government is "committed to develop tourism in India based on the principles of sustainability and minimizing carbon footprints."

"Government has ensured that strategies for development of tourism are not in conflict with the environment and have minimal negative impact," Naik said.

"When we talk about sustainability we should not only talk about conservation of resources but also our culture and heritage," he said.

"The issue of sustainability assumes greater significance in the context of India as we support one fifth of the population of the world with only 2.3 percent land mass available," he added.

Naik also urged all tourism stakeholders to be "eco-sensitive" and do business for long-term benefits with the objectives of creating employment, generating national income, preserving our cultural and natural heritage, among others.