Committee suggests Centre to devise promotional strategy to promote India as favoured tourism spot
Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has suggested the Centre to formulate an integrated marketing and promotional strategy in order to position India as a favoured tourism destination in the tourism generating markets worldwide.
The Committee also recommended that the Ministry of Transport, Tourism, and Culture develop a strategy to boost India's share in the global tourism market from 1.24 percent to 5% in the coming years.
The suggestion was submitted in the "Three Hundred Thirteenth Report on Promotion of Indian Tourism in Overseas Markets-Role of Overseas Tourist Offices and Indian Embassies". On Thursday, the report was introduced in both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. The Committee approved the report on January 31.
The Committee stated in its recommendation that focussed marketing and promotion efforts go a long way in promoting the growth of inbound tourism to India.
"The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Ministry should formulate an integrated marketing and promotional strategy to position India as a favoured tourism destination in the tourism generating markets overseas and increase India's share of the global tourism market from the present 1.24 per cent to 5 per cent in the years to come," read the report.
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It further added, "The Committee feels that one of the effective steps in this direction would be re-casting the website of the Ministry in an attractive and user-friendly manner."
Despite its extensive tourism resources, such as its unique biodiversity and rich culture and tradition, India's total proportion of international tourist arrivals remains a mere 1.24 percent, much below its enormous potential.
According to the committee, one of the key reasons for India"s Inbound Tourism remaining grossly under-utilized is the high rates and multiplicity of taxes that deter inbound tourism and have led to tourist packages being outpriced in comparison to tourist destinations of other countries.
The report states that the tax structure applicable to hotel accommodation, air travel, food and beverages consumption, etc., not only leads to tourist packages being overpriced but also obstructs the smooth flow of tourists to our historical sites.
Although inbound tourism is a key foreign exchange earner, with Rs 2,11,661 crore in foreign exchange earnings in 2019, the Committee notes that inbound tourism taxes are among the highest in the country.
According to the report, the Committee recommends that the tax regime applicable to the travel and tourism sector be revised holistically so that India can turn its comparative natural and economic advantages into competitive advantages for the tourism sector through appropriate amendments.
Further, the committee noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mooted three 3-Ts, Trade, Tourism and Technology, in order to boost Indian economic diplomacy and suggested the functioning of Indian Missions and embassies should be judged from their ability to inter alia boost tourist inflows.
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-PTC News
