India Aims: Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, revealed a promising initiative aimed at rejuvenating India’s inbound tourism sector, which has yet to return to pre-COVID levels. At the 54th annual convention of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), held in Goa, Shekhawat announced that the Tourism Ministry is in collaboration with the External Affairs Ministry to implement visa-on-arrival for countries that consistently send large numbers of tourists to India.
“We are taking steps to make India a top global tourist destination,” said Shekhawat. “One of the significant measures in this direction is to offer visa-on-arrival status to countries that contribute the most to international tourism in India. We’ve already made strides in this area by issuing one lakh visas free of charge on World Tourism Day.”
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to reposition Bharat on the global tourism map. Despite the rise in domestic travel since the pandemic, inbound international tourism remains subdued. According to recent data from the hospitality consultancy firm Hotelivate, India recorded 9.2 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2023, a decline from over 10 million in 2018 and 2019.
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) attributed this dip to insufficient international publicity and limited budget allocation for campaigns in key markets such as the UK, Canada, and the US.
India Aims – Enhancing India’s Global Tourism Appeal
The collaboration between the Tourism and External Affairs Ministries aims to improve India’s engagement with key markets across the globe. The new visa-on-arrival proposal will target top-tier international destinations and simplify travel procedures, encouraging more visitors from these regions. “We are working on creating stronger ties with countries that are vital for India’s tourism industry,” Shekhawat emphasized, underscoring the importance of the initiative.
Challenges in the Tourism Sector
While the visa-on-arrival plan is a significant step, the road to recovery for Bharat’s tourism sector has its challenges. The IATO has urged the government to increase advertising and extend overseas campaigns to promote India as a must-visit destination. These efforts, they argue, are crucial to driving foreign tourist arrivals, which have been sluggish compared to the robust domestic travel resurgence.
Pradeep Shetty, President of the FHRAI, noted the need for better infrastructure and sector-wide improvements. “About 80 percent of our hospitality industry is unorganized, with the organized segment contributing only 10 to 15 percent.
There is a lot of potential for growth in both areas, but we need to ensure that infrastructure and marketing support is there to attract international visitors.” Looking ahead, Shetty predicted that an additional 50,000 to 60,000 hotel rooms would be added in Bharat over the next five years, with over 88,000 branded rooms projected by March 2024.
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