If you don't like to rough it out, try to avoid Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and some regions in the Northeast when planning your next domestic holiday.

The tourism ministry has given these states a C grading, the worst possible when it comes to efforts to improve tourism infrastructure.

Where they stand

Top rung Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura Middle rung Bihar, Himachal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal Bottom rung Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Orissa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh

These states completed only around half of the tourism projects slated for the Eighth Five-Year Plan. The top performers are mostly from the west and the south.

Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Haryana are among those rated at the top in terms of facilities for tourists in the northern region.

While Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya in the Northeast are among the poor performers, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura are rated among the best in terms of travel-related infrastructure.

Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura completed more than 80 per cent of their projects in the Eighth Plan period.

Lack of interest shown by states is a major problem faced by the Centre in its attempt to develop tourism.

In the last quarter of 2002-03, the Centre had to drop about 90 schemes from its list on account of low interest shown by state governments.

The ministry of tourism is now persuading states to speed up ongoing projects, and attempting to rope in private sector players in areas where states are not showing interest.

Derivate players may be provided subsidies in projects with long-gestation periods.

In the case of some states, policy is holding them back from realising their potential.

Uttar Pradesh, which has an excellent tourism potential, was doing very badly in terms of concrete results because the project approval system was cumbersome, said officials.

Madhya Pradesh, which has poor quality roads, has been asked to review its tourism policy to focus on infrastructure.

With the government deciding to focus on improving infrastructure to boost tourism, about half of the proposed Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) Tourism Fund is to be used on assisting local authorities for bridging minor infrastructure gaps.