Royal Travels News
Tourism is the industry of future considering the lesser amount of investment needed and high returns expected and the potential that this sector has to generate foreign exchange”, echoed Shivraj V Patil, Governor, Punjab & Administrator, UT, Chandigarh while addressing the inaugural session of the first-ever CII (Confederation of Indian Industry CII) Tourism Festival, which started off at Sector 17, Parade Ground in Chandigarh yesterday. The fest is being organised by CII, Chandigarh Administration and Punjab as the Principal Partner state. The fest which will run December 7, 2013 has Chandigarh as the Host City and Punjab is the Principal Partner State while Haryana is participating as the Focus State.
“Linkage between Ministry of Tourism and private sector players, mutual cooperation between industry stakeholders, innovation and creative development of new concepts of tourism like-Ecotourism, Lifestyle Tourism, Weekend Tourism, Farm Tourism and Medical Tourism will take the tourism industry to new heights as the industry of future,”
Patil added.
S Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Tourism Minister, Government of Punjab, said, “Government of Punjab is preparing a comprehensive Punjab Tourism Promotion Policy and would soon come out with it, wherein all the elements related to the tourism in the state will be given due focus. North comprising of eight states and UT of Chandigarh has a lot to offer. But, to unleash this advantage, we need to support the industry with supportive policies”.
International Chef Meet with 35 chefs from 15 categories from Iceland, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka & Malaysia and various Indian states and dance festival with dancers from Thailand and Indonesia and Indian states attracted huge crowds on the inaugural day.
Calling tourism a private sector industry, Patil said, “Tourism industry of India is totally under the control of the private sector. Therefore, the private sector should improvise and innovate and work with governments and build up necessary infrastructure related to the hospitality sector, set up more budget hotels, upgrade infrastructure in religious and scenic destinations to leverage the domestic tourists. Government can play a role of the catalysts or facilitator for the private sector.”
Patil urged the industry to also focus on Domestic Tourism, which can be profitable in long run for the private sector and recommended leveraging the mighty Himalayas, scenic coastline, Eastern and Western Ghats and unexplored destinations. He also released a CII - KPMG Report on “Travel & Tourism Sector: Potential, Opportunities and Enabling Framework for Sustainable Growth” and Weekend Lifestyle Tourism on the occasion.
Highlighting the importance of seamless travel, Phillaur further said, “Seamless travel should be facilitated across integrated circuits through introduction of integrated taxation regime, linkages between various public transportation modes and improvements in highway infrastructure such as petrol pumps, clean drinking water kiosks and sanitation facilities, road signages, etc.”
“Development of single integrated tourism circuit can provide solution to numerous problems of the tourism industry” Phillaur added. He also called upon concerted efforts by all stakeholders such as the central and state governments, private sector and the community at large, for sustainable development of travel and tourism sector in the country.
Usha Sharma, Additional DG, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, said, “The tourism industry in the country can reach new heights if all stakeholders come on board with their problems and issues.” She informed that in 2012, foreign tourists arrival in the India increased by four per cent and domestic tourists arrival increased by 12 per cent, which shows the healthy growth rate of tourism sector in India.
Sharing some of the main initiatives undertaken by the MoT, for development of the tourism sector, she said, “We are planning to come up with a policy of collective landing, giving ‘Visa on Arrival’ to four or more foreign tourists coming together. Under collective landing permit, a group of four or more tourists visiting India need to file their travel itinerary 72 hours before reaching India and they will be treated similarly as those under the Visa on Arrival policy.”
“Our new initiatives like e-Visa, Collective landing permit can help the industry grow at a robust rate. It is due to this purpose, Visa on Arrival has been extended to eight airports and shortly this will be extended to Goa Airport as well. Tourists from 40 more countries will also be provided Visa on Arrival facilities in near future,” she said.
Arjun Sharma, Chairman, CII Tourism Fest 2013 & Managing Director, Le Passage to India, called for integration of the region, cutting through the national boundaries of the states, making common policies and taxation structure and systems and enabling seamless infrastructure to improve the connectivity which would facilitate in promoting India as a preferred tourism destination.
Jayant Davar, Chairman, CII Northern Region & Co-Chairman & Managing Director, Sandhar Technologies Ltd, “CII Tourism Fest 2013, is a pertinent endeavour to enhance the visibility and capabilities abundant in this industry by bringing together all the critical stakeholders like policy makers, officials of Ministry of Tourism, State Governments, International Tourism Boards, hoteliers, tour operators and travel agents on a common platform.”
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