TravTalk India Online Magazine
At WTM 2019, India is sure to pack a punch with a bigger, stronger delegation. A lower visa fee and reduced GST on hotels, which have made travel to India more affordable, will set the ball rolling for tourism growth.
Nisha Verma
The positive atmosphere created for tourism in India, owing to a lowered visa free and rationalisation of the Goods & Services Tax (GST), would certainly help boost the number of inbound travellers, believes Yogendra Tripathi, Secretary, Tourism, Government of India. He says that these developments and policy changes should be promoted at a global stage, and Ministry of Tourism (MOT) will be doing the same at World Travel Market 2019 in London. “The government has taken a major step by reducing the visa fee. Our delegation at WTM this year would be bigger than what it has always been, and would include representatives from MOT, state governments, and other stakeholders,” he adds.
Our delegation at WTM will be bigger, with representatives from MOT, state governments, and other stakeholders
Several steps are being taken by MOT to promote domestic tour- ism as well. While infrastructure development at tourist sites is being carried out under the Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD schemes, the government is also promoting the Northeast region of the country. Tripathi adds, “In order to facilitate domestic tourist visits, the government has also reduced GST at hotels, thereby reducing the cost of accommodation and making the whole experience affordable and pleasant.”
He rightly believes that both public and private sectors need to join hands and make use of this opportunity to ensure that benefits get passed on to the final consumer. “lt is only then that the trade would become more competitive, in turn promoting both inbound and domestic tourism,” he shares.
