With the pandemic, the entire value chain of the travel and tourism industry has been disrupted, spreading its tentacles through hospitality, aviation, railways, roadways, et cetera. Battling the Covid-19 has been a huge challenge for our world and a crisis of dimensions that are unprecedented and incomparable to any past experience.
The tourism industry of India contributes nine per cent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 10 per cent to its employment in the pre-covid era. The sector’s contribution in 2019 stood at 6.9 per cent and went down to 4.7 per cent in 2020, as per the World Travel and Tourism Council, SBI Research.
The report further suggests that due to the massive hit by pandemic, the industry suffered a sharp decline of 20 per cent in employment. Currently, the essential revenue of the industry is coming through domestic tourism which increased to 89 per cent in 2020 from 82 per cent in 2019.
Now as the industry is struggling and trying to stay afloat under these unprecedented times, the government has also stepped up and has reshuffled its cabinet, appointing G Kishan Reddy as the Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North East Region.
The BJP MP from Secunderabad in Telangana is ably supported by two Ministers of State in the Ministry of Tourism – Shripad Yesso Naik and Ajay Bhatt; two Ministers of State in the Ministry of Culture – Arjun Ram Meghwal and Meenakshi Lekhi and BL Verma as Minister of State in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
The move is a testimony to the focus that the Prime Minister is bringing to the hospitality, travel, tourism and F&B industry with G Kishan Reddy taking charge to set a course that will be best for the sectors. To showcase the sentiments of the industry leaders, BW HOTELIER got in touch with them to note their excitement, suggestions, and recommendations.
Nakul Anand, Chairman of Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) & Executive Director of ITC Ltd
We welcome Shri G Kishan Reddy and the five MoS and extend our complete support to them. The need of the hour is for all stakeholders to come together and take steps that will help in quick recovery for the hospitality, travel and tourism industries. To revive the industry, waiver of statutory levies for FY 21-22 without any penalties needs to be coordinated between the Centre and the states. Also, the Central government needs to accord infrastructure status to the tourism sector which will help boost tourism and attract investment and grant it industry status at state level, coordinated across respective states. The move will ensure lower rates of electricity, other utility charges, excise duties, property and any other local taxes. For MSMEs in tourism sector, grants or interest free loans with long payback period should be announced. It is also important that the Indian missions abroad may be activated with tourism resources for maximum reach. And GST rate rationalisation be introduced across the entire value chain with full setoffs to establish India as a globally more competitive destination.
Puneet Chhatwal, President of Hotel Association of India and MD & CEO of IHCL
We welcome the new Cabinet minister and wish him great success on his journey ahead. The hospitality, tourism and F&B sector have been reeling under the severe blow of the ongoing pandemic and need Government’s policy interventions for their survival and revival. The hospitality sector is capital intensive and has been functioning on negligible income since March 2020 and we believe granting infrastructure status to hotels and providing relief packages will enable the sector to access long term funds at subsidised rates. It will encourage greater investments in the hospitality and tourism infrastructure thus augmenting the economic recovery of the country. We look forward to the leadership of Union Minister Shri G Kishan Reddy in taking India’s tourism industry to new heights.
KB Kachru, Vice President, Hotel Association of India Chairman Emeritus and Principal Advisor, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group
The recent changes in the Cabinet are a welcome measure and will help the industry get its rightful stature as an important pillar of the economy. Elevation of ministerial ranks to Cabinet level will give us representation at the highest level, while appointment of two additional ministers to handle specific issues and promote tourism will help enhance our overall perception. Many states have stepped up during the course of the worsening situation to support with independent measures. However, our struggle for survival continues even after several months into the pandemic. The industry, that once contributed 9% to the country’s GDP with an equivalent share in employment generation, has been facing heavy job losses and piling debt. At this point, we need urgent intervention from the Centre in the form of a stimulus package and much-deserved ‘industry’ status. Our plea to the government is to put these requests in urgent action mode to save livelihoods and prevent hotels from turning NPAs. We are fully committed to rebuild the industry and will continue to support the government in their new charter.
Celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor
Food of a place is an integral part when it comes to tourism. Globally, there are very few places like India when it comes to diversity and richness of cuisine. While the world revels in the newfound fifth, so called higher taste - Umami; India, for centuries, always had the concept of shathh ras – six tastes. It is time to share with the world that India not only offers great food for the palate but also for the mind and the soul. Turmeric not only gives colour to the curry but also is the most searched word when it comes to immunity. Wholesome foods of India, health for the world. The appointment of Shri G Kishan Reddy as the Union Minister for the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region shows the focus and commitment of the Hon’ble PM to the sector. I welcome the new Hon’ble Minister and his team of five MOSs.
Mandeep S Lamba, President (South Asia), HVS ANAROCK
The appointment of a Cabinet Rank Minister for Tourism along with two Ministers of State is a welcome move and a much-needed confidence booster for the travel and hospitality sectors. The Honorable Minister and his team has work cut out for them – putting India back on the global tourism map by rebuilding traveller confidence – a tall order given the negative publicity the country has received recently, which would need the team to create and execute a complete reboot plan in collaboration with key industry stakeholders. The devastation of the sector necessitates a gentler and focussed government reach out to the various industry participants in order to assuage the wounds inflicted by the pandemic and assist meaningfully in the recovery process.
Celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar
The Cabinet 2.0 couldn’t have come at a better time, especially for the hospitality and tourism industry. It is time for a reboot and it’s great to see the Government focus on this portfolio; given we have two MOSs each for culture and tourism and Shri Kishan Reddy heading the ministry. I’m excited to see how this young and raring to go Cabinet, through its policymaking, is going to give a propelling direction to hospitality and tourism. I’m looking forward to the industry getting a much-needed boost in times to come.
Vijay Thacker, Managing Director, Horwath HTL - India, Mumbai
Hospitality industry has huge economic relevance towards material growth of GDP, foreign exchange, employment creation, and happiness quotient (important in these trying times). We urge and welcome your policy support to enable sustained growth by grant infrastructure status for hotels, resorts, convention centres; support five star hotels: these are crucial for significant overall growth, raise 18% GST threshold from Rs 7,500 to Rs 15,000; safeguard, maintain and promote heritage assets/ monuments as these carry huge tourism value; setting (and initiatives towards) a bold target of 30 million foreign tourists by 2030; this will earn $100 billion foreign exchange and substantial FDI. As stakeholders towards a common goal, we can deliver remarkable economic benefits.
Deep Kalra, Founder & CEO, MakeMyTrip.com
Deep collaboration and solidarity shown by the entire travel and hospitality value chain during the pandemic has given us all the strength and resilience to weather the storm. Despite limited support extended to the sector, we are seeing good overall recovery after the second wave waned although we understand that the recovery will be non-linear for most players. We are looking forward to support and work closely with the newly sworn in Tourism Minister Honorable Shri G Kishan Reddy to help cement India’s position on the world tourism map as borders open up and enable Indians to explore more of their own country during this unprecedented period. In the near future, one of Government’s many top priorities include assisting MSMEs and other ancillary travel players to revive and recover from the repercussions of the pandemic-induced crisis. We believe a renewed focus from the government on promoting domestic travel through infrastructure support, focused marketing campaigns and robust public-private partnership will go a long way in restoring the health of the tourism sector in
Jyoti Mayal, President, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI); Vice Chairperson, FAITH; and Chairperson, Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC)
A new team, a new beginning. We appreciate the Hon’ble Prime Minister for hearing TAAI’s request in the open letter we wrote to him requesting for a Cabinet status to MoT. Tourism holistically is the backbone of our country and it will be a catalyst to revive the economy and create better infrastructure. MoT certainly needed the teeth it has been given. The Cabinet Minister with his Ministers of State needs to quickly gauge the challenges with the help of industry associations and work on priority to deliver and be a strong spokesperson on their behalf. The sector currently needs support in fiscal, correct policies, incentives and safety procedures. A strong effective milestone driven National Task force is required. The biggest doable policy change in actual would be to grant an industry status (include in the concurrent list) to this sector. To create a National Tourism Fund safeguarding from any disaster going forward & also bring in a structured guideline to be recognised as a stake holder/ service provider with protection in form of insurances in place.
Amaresh Tiwari, Vice Chairman, India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB)
Hon’ble New Tourism Minister needs to focus on clear cut strategy and take industry along with. Industry is looking forward to having interaction with new leadership. I congratulate and wish all the success and cooperation to the new team. India MICE Board should be an independent body under MoT or ICPB and funds for MICE tourism should be allocated. MICE has huge potential and spends three times higher than leisure segments. ICPB should be made National MICE Bureau and funds need to be allocated to strengthen the same to market India.
Subhash Goyal, President, Confederation of Tourism Professionals and Chairman, STIC Travel & Air Charter Group
We cannot have any tourism without civil aviation, therefore, it is very important to announce the dates of E-tourist visas and simultaneously announce the starting of scheduled international flights. Opening up the skies using air bubble during lockdown and severe wave of Covid-19 was a welcome move but we cannot carry on with the same and scheduled flights need to start as more than 10 million people in the tourism and hospitality industry have already lost their jobs also affecting our exports and thereby completely suffocating our economy. SEIS, which is legally due to the tour operators, needs to be released immediately. Interest-free loans should be given to the small and medium tour operators, Government-approved tourist guides and tourist transport operators which should be repaid only one year after the starting of scheduled international flights. Drivers and staff of tour operators should be paid 50% salary from ESI funds. We hope the new Ministers of Tourism & Civil Aviation will work in coordination with each other and consider these suggestions in the larger national interest.
PP Khanna, President, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI)
If the Government is assertive in their approach to revive tourism and provide relief to millions of stakeholders of the industry who have no business since March 2020, then they should take drastic measures. The Hon’ble Minister in his first task should convene a meeting of all stakeholders of the industry immediately to understand the industry’s demand for the revival and take a viable approach. The Centre/ states are very keen to open up tourism and the Government should bring a conducive atmosphere for the industry partners to play their role to bring back the glory of tourism which accounts for 10 per cent of GDP, besides having multiplier effect on the economy including employment generation. To ensure Covid protocols are being followed strictly, a comprehensive data of infrastructure, hotels, tourist attractions and parking facilities at the destination is needed. Also, a comprehensive study on all states/ UT to provide the data for absorbing the tourists and the capacity of the particular state/ attraction/ tourist spots and to impose restrictions for the excess flow of tourists to that destination.
Rajiv Mehra, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO)
Our Hon’ble Finance Minister on the June 29 announced 500,000 free visas and loan guarantee scheme for the travel sector. We see the silver lining of open borders and would request the Government to at least announce a date by when the borders will open. This will send a positive signal across the world and offer a lead time for preparation in India and globally. The release of SEIS 2019-20 for tour operators earning foreign exchange in the services sector, which is pending government’s announcement so that it can give some support to the tour operators to survive. It is very important that all our frontline tourism workers are 100% vaccinated. The removal of cascading effect of GST on tourism industry by charging GST on deemed value as well as the removal of GST on services provided outside India to foreign tourists. The tourism industry also needs to be treated as deemed exporter at par with IT industry under export of services.
Zubin Saxena, Managing Director & Vice President Operations, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group
The Covid-19 pandemic has set hospitality industry back by at least a few years. Our industry is in pain and needs immediate help and support. The looming crisis ahead appears to be about financial stress on hotel assets. Many hotels need loan restructuring and financial support, and a more conducive cost of capital to survive. We request the hotel industry be given extended tenures and preferential interest rates, which will allow many owners to keep the keys of their assets and survive through to recovery. As an industry, we have stepped up in an hour of crisis to support our fellow countrymen, but now our survival seems to be at great risk. Mr G Kishan Reddy’s appointment as the new Cabinet Minister for Tourism and Culture and Development of Northeast is a welcome move that reflects Government’s renewed focus on the sector. We are confident that Mr Reddy and his team would help navigate the industry into a favourable position. We remain confident and invested in the industry’s long term prospects.
Anuraag Bhatnagar, Chief Operating Officer, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts
We welcome the new Cabinet Minister and the Ministers of State. This is clearly a testament to the importance of tourism and culture and a reaffirmation of the synergistic connection between the two as well as the potential it unleashes. As a brand rooted in India, we are committed to showcasing India’s wealth of diversity in experience, architecture, geography, cuisine and culture to the world. India has the power to reinvent tomorrow and The Leela embodies the positive new face of India and celebrates the essence of true Indian luxury. We hope the coming together of tourism and culture will open up newer avenues and provide further impetus to international travel into India strengthening our positioning as a must visit destination on every discerning global traveller’s itinerary.
We welcome the recent measures by the Government of India to revive the tourism sector and hope for continued support going forward, to recover from the drastic impact on hospitality-based businesses, until the industry reaches a stable phase. At our end, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and will ensure that we protect our business and the long-term prospects of the travel and tourism sector in India as we evolve our response and recovery plans. Since the beginning of the crisis last year, we have worked on a series of actions to support our owners in India, protect as many jobs as possible whilst saving costs in an increasingly challenging market, and drive demand to our hotels with a proven promise of offering a safe and clean environment to our guests.
Ranjit Batra, President - Hospitality, Panchshil Realty
With turbulent economic recovery trends, we expect further streamlining of regulations in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, to spur greater demand amongst domestic and international travelers for accommodations. We are hopeful for a flexible and tolerant financial environment, uniform taxation, better incentives and provisions for developing hotel real estate, improve connectivity and infrastructure at our existing locations to boost domestic tourism, an integral contributor towards India’s robust revival story. A focus on growth-oriented measures, economic reforms and inclusive growth is critical to bring a Covid-battered economy back on track. We are hopeful the new Cabinet Minister and his team will provide the much-needed booster shots to push tourism and hospitality growth in India. Large scale policy initiatives to boost local tourism, special incentives for infrastructure development, GST reduction and special stimulus packages can help the industry to move faster on the recovery path.
Sanjay Sethi, MD and CEO, Chalet Hotels Ltd
There is a fresh sense of optimism infused into the Indian hospitality sector with the recent announcements by the Government and the induction of Mr G Kishan Reddy as the Cabinet Minister with a team of MoS for Tourism. We look forward to working closely with the dynamic team, to get the industry its deserved due; being one of the largest providers of employment, and GDP contributors to the country. One of the foremost priorities is to strategise a path for recovery of international and domestic tourism including business travel and get the industry under the concurrent list. I’m a believer in the ‘power of collective’ and recommend creating a working group of leaders from across hospitality companies to address current and future challenges to accelerate recovery, and help the sector rise together.
Vineet Verma, MRICS, Executive Director & CEO, Brigade Hospitality
Covid-19 has been most hostile to the most hospitable sector of tourism and hospitality. While some measures have indeed been rolled out by both the state and the Centre, to help revive hospitality, these have been grossly inadequate. A lot more needs to be done and we are hopeful that our Hon’ble Tourism Minister will take up our cause in right earnest. A few initiatives among many, that we feel can help provide some succour are to accord industry status to hotels across India. At present, only a few states have done so; a one year loan moratorium (all types of loans) on repayment from April 2021 to March 2022 for entrepreneurs and employees of service sector; automatic renewal of statutory licenses without payment of renewal fees for one year. Also, advise state governments to renew all annual licenses for this financial year (April 2021 to March 2022) without levying any fees or at heavily discounted rates; declare GST reduction, if not waiver, for our sector for next 2 years; 50% reduction in entry charges for all monuments managed by Ministry of Culture through Archaeology department; request Finance Ministry to expedite IT refunds of individuals and companies in our sector and to initiate release of SEIS dues to our sector.
JB Singh, President & CEO, InterGlobe Hotels
The tourism and the hospitality sectors need to find its rightful place in the economic agenda with its ability to provide massive employment, accelerate growth and build soft power in the global arena. Recent changes in the cabinet clearly shows the decisive sense of purpose by the government to drive the nation forward. Government intervention in the form of structural reforms is required for the overall recovery and long-term sustenance of the sector which contributes significantly in terms of employment and GDP. Government’s support in rebuilding customer confidence for Covid safe travel and a centralised policy on fiscal support for the industry akin to the packages announced by some states giving ‘industry’ status benefits to hospitality sector would provide a much-needed impetus to the crisis laden industry. Parallelly, we need to work on a sustainable demand agenda for tourism and hospitality by creating a new ‘Brand India’ with focus on bringing in global-level events and conventions to the country and accelerating hotel infrastructure development by bringing long-term policy reforms like ‘Alternate Investment Funds’ and providing the ‘Infrastructure Status’ to this industry. This should be supported by rationalising the building norms like Parking and construction bye-laws in line with some of the best practises globally as these would help remove inefficiencies in development and bring down the proportionate costs in a significant manner.
Sonica Malhotra Kandhari, Joint Managing Director, MBD Group
We are extremely elated that our Hon’ble Prime Minister has allocated a Cabinet status to the tourism sector by appointing Mr G Kishan Reddy with two Ministers of State under him. This step is the true reflection of the enhanced focus of the Hon’ble PM towards the enhancement of the tourism and hospitality sector and recognising its potential to foster economic growth, generate employment opportunities and earn foreign exchange. Since the tourism and hospitality sector is going through challenging times, we hope that the new team of strong and dedicated officials will work towards the revival of this sector.
Nikhil Sharma, Regional Director Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
At Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, we are pleased with the appointment of Mr G Kishan Reddy and his team of Ministers of State, two each for tourism and culture, which will have a strong focus on tourism, culture and aviation. This recent change will support the hospitality and tourism industry and we look forward to seeing the effects of these changes begin to take place. Across India, some tourism and hospitality workers have been given vaccines as priority as the states recognise them as front-line workers. We feel that continuing this trend and momentum would benefit the hospitality industry immensely and we hope to see this replicated across the nation. The sector’s advocacy for recognition has been heard and we are pleased to see continued support from the administration.
Vilas Pawar, CEO, Choice Hotels India
A warm welcome to the new Cabinet minister Mr G Kishan Reddy and his able team. The new Cabinet reshuffle brings hope and optimism for our industry, the last 15 months have been unprecedented times for the world and our industry has been affected adversely. The intermittent lockdowns, hotel establishments asked to remain closed, restrictions on travel and connectivity have contributed to lack of faith in the stakeholders of the travel industry. We have been pushing and requesting for infrastructure status for hospitality industry for a long time, we do hope the industry can be granted the same. The industry needs to be recognized for the economic relevance it brings towards employment creation, GDP, foreign exchange earnings. We would request for policies to support growth and eliminate regulatory and operating hurdles. We all know that we need to follow Covid Appropriate Behaviour, the balance between lives and livelihood needs to be arrived with a larger level of predictability to aid our road to recovery.
Souvagya Mohapatra, Managing Director for India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts
The travel and tourism sector needs Government’s helping hand more than ever. The new Cabinet Minister and his team will have a Herculean task of steering the sector out of this unprecedented crisis. As stakeholders of the industry, while welcoming the recent announcements by the Government of India of extending financial support to travel and tourism stakeholders along with five lakh free tourist visas for foreign tourists, we expect more to be done. Among other things, rationalisation of GST rates at 12% across all categories of rooms and services is the first thing that we expect from the new cabinet as this will go a long way to whipping up the demand in the sector and help us stand back on our feet. Countries who promote tourism as a key sector of their economy have their tax rates around 10% and India too should follow the same.
We congratulate Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia as the new Civil Aviation Minister and Shri G Kishan Reddy as the Minister of Tourism. It will be our honour to join forces with them for continued cooperation towards the development and growth of the travel and hospitality industry in India. Travel today is no longer a luxury but something consumers love to engage in as it provides a respite from monotony of city life. We are therefore working closely with the government to usher a positive sentiment towards travel and making sure all safety norms are followed at each touch point. We look forward to aligning our policies and thoughts and seek their crucial support to boost tourism and for the revival of the sector as a whole.
Chander Baljee, Chairman and Managing Director, Royal Orchid & Regenta Hotels
It is was encouraging to see that the Government took note of the catastrophic blow the industry endured as a result of the pandemic. The booster shot of relief measure announced last month should play a significant role in restoring the sector to health in addition to boosting optimism. Given the importance the industry plays in our economy, I urge the honorable Minister, G Kishan Reddy, to also support rationalisation of taxes, subsidizing salaries of hotel employees, reducing excise fee, reducing property taxes, extending the repayment tenure of ECLGS, and include tourism into the concurrent list of the constitution.
Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar of Udaipur, Executive Director, HRH Group of Hotels
My heartiest congratulations to the Hon’ble Minister Shri G Kishan Reddy, and the Ministers of State for Tourism, Shri Ajay Bhatt and Shri Shripad Yesso Naik on taking charge of the Ministry of Tourism! We wish to congratulate Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Ms Meenakshi Lekhi, who as Ministers of State for Culture, have an immensely significant role to play. Tourism and culture go hand in hand in our country. I sincerely hope that while the ministers add more power to Incredible India and its different facets, they will address the distress caused by the pandemic since March 2020. The tourism industry needs inspiration and compassion, financial assistance and direct transfer of funds to look ahead with optimism into the coming months. Before we begin to walk again, we need strength to stand up! We will abide by the Government's regulation on Covid-19; we want the Government to be with us, like our true friend when every player, big or small, in the industry is in dire need. Jai Hind!
Madhavan Menon, Managing Director, Thomas Cook India Group
The Cabinet reshuffle has brought aviation and tourism into the spotlight and much is expected from the new cabinet and state ministers for a sector that is deserving of immediate attention - a sector that is a significant contributor to the GDP, foreign exchange receipts and employment generation - with a cascading force multiplier effect on allied sectors. Reopening of India’s skies, albeit in a phased manner, is an imperative and we look forward to announcements on this front - as this will play a pivotal role in kickstarting the country’s tourism and aviation businesses. A standard health and safety entry protocol across states will ensure the complexity and uncertainties around travel are put to rest and that we focus on rebuilding consumer confidence in travel. We see much scope with additional of the North East development portfolio to that of the Minister of Tourism and Culture - serving as an added impetus towards tourism for this yet under-leveraged region. Taxation is a critical issue that needs to be addressed and on priority to enable this highly opportune/ viable sector to maximise returns for the benefit of the economy and reboot employment in the Covid era.
Vishal Suri, Managing Director, SOTC Travel
We welcome the Prime Minister’s focus towards tourism with the allocation of the tourism portfolio to a Cabinet rank minister and two Ministers of State to create synergies between departments. Importance towards tourism in the Cabinet is an indication of the Government’s significant focus on this sector. Tourism is an important part of the economy and a significant employment generator. We anticipate focus with quick decisions on concrete measures to revive the economy and boost consumer sentiment. There is a need to harmonise travel restrictions and health protocols across the country. Demands on rationalisation of GST and waiving off/ rationalisation of TCS that is being an unnecessary compliance burden on travel agents and tour operators have been long pending and need immediate focus.
Ashwini Kakkar, Chairman, Action Against Hunger India
The growing global rush to welcome back domestic and international tourists and India’s decision to appoint a Cabinet Minister and two Ministers of State for Tourism underscores the importance of this industry which contributes around 10 per cent of world GDP and over 10 per cent of world employment. It would be important for our Minister Mr G Kishan Reddy to seize the moment and ensure that this critical business is immediately accorded ‘industry status’. The other pending task is the extension of the ‘Service Export Incentive Scheme’ (SEIS) which merits attention. There is also a crying need for the simplification, standardisation and if possible rationalisation of the complex tax structure that this industry has been saddled with. In the short term, to support this sector, which has been the worst affected by the pandemic, the Government could consider a waiver of all taxes up to March 31, 2023 since salary support for the MSME subsectors of this industry would place a strain on the already stretched resources of the Government. This would help in resuscitating the thirty to forty million jobs at risk in this industry and provide impetus for strong growth in the next few quarters.
India’s tourism industry has been going through its roughest phase amidst the pandemic that has impacted travel both in domestic as well as international circuits. The industry, including hotels, airlines, airports, travel agents (both online and offline), bus, taxi operators and so on, continue to suffer immense revenue and job losses across categories. Whilst various industry bodies and associations have constantly engaged with the state and central governments over the last year to identify areas of support, it is encouraging to see renewed focus with the change in leadership at the tourism ministry. We are confident that under the able guidance of the new Tourism Minister, we will all come together to revitalise, redevelop and bring back a turnaround in the tourism sector in India.
This is a very encouraging step that India for the first time gets a Cabinet rank Tourism Minister and two Ministers of State for tourism. This shows there is an intent to highlight that tourism is very important to Indian economy. This definitely imbibes confidence in all tourism leaders that Modi government is showing serious intent to revive tourism. Highlighting some long term macro level measures that will make a difference and boost demand for both domestic and inbound tourism business, he suggests to create a tourism regulatory council of India and fix accountability of tourism and travel companies. There should be an active role played by private sector in managing of tourism assets owned and operated by state and central governments, like they run hotels and resorts luxury trains and convention centres. We need to ensure GoI appoints PR companies in all countries they have GoI tourism office that run on minimum staffing. We need to spend that budget and utilise it in promotions, be engaging these PR companies who are professionally qualified and equipped to push the destination. We need to activate our small airports and landing base and encourage small airlines who can operate 17 seater dronair aircraft at all these hill stations and wildlife parks to boost demand and provide accessibility. To build domestic and international MICE business which is a key for sustainable growth of tourism business, the Government must line up a budget to provide subsidies to Indian and international companies to consider India as their conference and incentive destination/ location. This should be done to boost tourism immediately post-Covid which will ensure large numbered and thereby boost growth.
Bhuvanesh Raj Khanna, CEO – BW Communities, BW Businessworld
There are entire nations whose only livelihood and commerce is tourism and these nations neither have the size nor do they have the variety of locations as India. Our incredible India is bestowed with riches of all seasons and topography to offer any international or domestic traveller. It is now time for us to move gears, get into action mode and translate plans into execution mode. How many countries will give you a vast Indian Ocean, beaches of all hues, plains, deserts, mountains, the majestic Himalayas and spiritual destinations of practically all the faiths of the world – all on one visa? And Indian F&B, one of our biggest exports to the world, best to savour it at its origins and there is so much variety, one trip may not be enough. While our desi hospitality needs no introduction, Indian hospitality CXOs head the best hotel chains in India and overseas. Time to come and get a taste of India. It is now time to action ‘Incredible India Ver 2.0’ for us to claim our true place under the sun as a world-class hospitality, travel, tourism and F&B destination, bringing in precious forex, creating mega businesses and generating huge employment. We should envision to be amongst the top ten travel destination by inbound tourist traffic and Revenue. It is so heartening to note that our Hon’ble Prime Minister has brought focus to Indian hospitality, travel, tourism and F&B by handing charge of three important ministries to the Hon’ble Cabinet Minister Shri G Kishan Reddy and his team of five MoSs – two for Tourism and Culture and one for the Development of the North East Region. This not only augurs well, it means we are now in serious business. We welcome the Hon’ble Union Minister Shri G Kishan Reddy and his team of 5 MoSs to the driver’s seat.
India has loads to offer to the discerning traveller, both national and international through a diverse portfolio in its tourism bouquet – wellness, medical, eco-tourism, rural, religious, adventure, cruises, sports, spiritual and MICE among others. With the industry experts opining that the tourism and hospitality sectors’ direct contribution to GDP likely to touch Rs 12.68 trillion by 2028 augurs well for the hospitality sector. Also, the fact that the Government has been making serious efforts to boost investments in the tourism sector indicates the intent of the honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revive the beleaguered industry at the earliest after the two waves of Covid-19 which set us back by some margin. One such step in this direction has been allowing 100 per cent FDI through the automatic route. Likewise, a five-year tax holiday was being offered to two-, three- and four-star hotels around UNESCO world heritage sites (except Delhi and Mumbai), post-pandemic. With Shri G Kishan Reddy taking over as the new Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region of India, we, a part of the hospitality industry, expect pathbreaking and innovative offerings from his table to take the tourism and hospitality industries to the next level.
