NEW DELHI: India is scripting a new policy to create world-class beach destinations on the lines of the popular ones such as Bali and Sentosa as it looks to give a big boost to tourism , which has been identified as a key focus area for employment generation. NITI Aayog , the government’s premier think tank, is working on a draft policy to modify coastal regulatory zones in a manner so that harmonious and sustainable development can take place, a senior government official told ET on condition of anonymity."The draft policy will be ready by the end of this month. This will help us develop coastal areas into world-class tourism zones," the official said.In collaboration with the tourism ministry, the Aayog will lay out a roadmap for identifying and developing beach destinations over the next three years. The Aayog has identified tourism as a key sector in its three-year action plan for generating much-needed jobs in the country and the proposed policy is seen as a step in that direction.Globally, beach holidays have grown 18 per cent over the past five years and remain an important segment of leisure travel , accounting for 28 per cent of all holiday trips.The Aayog has recommended collaboration between the government and private sector to develop five exclusive tourism zones around beaches, stating that India’s long coastline presents a significant opportunity in this regard."Steps should be taken to promote beach tourism via an integrated effort from coastal states and islands," said the draft three-year action plan.According to the Aayog, India’s zones should be based on massive planning including best practices in engineering (drainage, sewage, solid waste management) and sustainability."While developing these zones, we should draw upon examples that have successfully developed tourism around beaches such as Bali, Sentosa and Antalya," it said. States with potential for developing beach tourism include Karnataka, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, along with traditional tourist coastal states such as Kerala and Goa.However, majority of these states will have to significantly relax their coastal regulatory zone norms to allow infrastructure creation around their beaches. Currently, no construction is allowed up to 500 metres from the high-tide zone under these norms.Major attractions being conceptualised for the identified tourist hotspots include sheltered beaches, resorts, hotels, theme parks, golf courses and multi-cuisine eateries, without compromising too much on biodiversity of the areas.