TravTalk India Online Magazine
On International Women’s Day, Ministry of Tourism is set to unveil new online marketplace for guiding and tourist facilitator services, which would not only empower men, but open new avenues for women.
Nisha Verma
Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, has revealed that instead of a physical event, as planned earlier, “We will be announcing a few initiatives on March 8, 2022”. To mark the day, we will sign a MoU with various organisations to help us with capacity building and training. Apart from focusing on women, training will be imparted to men in soft skills and microfinance. The aim is to ensure that women can wear multiple hats and get empowered through their earning capacity. We will also encourage women to come into the aviation sector as it is a major driver in tourism and travel. Hence, we are constructing a conclave for the same,” she informed.
Leverage women’s qualities
Brar mentions there are many women contributing to the travel and tourism sector, but they don’t find their names being highlighted. “While this is one problem, another problem is that they are just not there in this sector. Hence, we need to make sure there is at least 50:50 contribution for women. In addition, their inherent qualities of being caregivers and of being softer allow them to easily fit into the roles in tourism and hospitality. Hence, it is important for us, as a government, to help the women leverage those qualities. Finding the right amount of education and being in the digital space in the 21st century has become important. Also, they should equip themselves to access microfinance. There are many government-run institutions in the country where finance is available for women,” she pointed out.
Brar said, “We will be working with WCT and Ministries of MSME and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to see how we can bring together specific niche areas and present the same to these women. This is where the women can get access and support from other ministries to set up an enterprise and promote it. A lot of women should benefit from the programmes.”
New online marketplace
She said they will also unveil an online marketplace on March 8, which is a follow-up to the IITFC programme. “This online marketplace will be like an Uber App for booking guiding services and tourist facilitator services. We will launch it on March 8, which will be a great platform for a tourist to reach out directly to a guide. If one is headed to any place in the country, he/she will be able to look for somebody who matches their needs in terms of services through this platform. While it is meant for men and women, it will recognise many women who are currently, in an unorganised way, part of the India story. There are special profiles for women, and we are going to market them because they can find full-time as well as flexible employment. While the women wear multiple hats, this online marketplace would give them scope if they are interested in showcasing their neighbourhood by using this platform to join hands with Incredible India and be a part of Dekho Apna Desh too,” said Brar.
More initiatives
Among other initiatives, she said under the viability gap funding scheme, which the MOT supports and recommends routes for the twice-a-week Delhi-Khajuraho connectivity has been announced. “It should give a boost to a destination that has everything to showcase. We look forward to such interventions and we are pushing more and more to identify sectors because connectivity is a key driver for tourism, “she elaborates. “This apart”, she informed, “we have also signed a MoU with Alliance Air. We are looking forward to working with them in crafting specific conducted tours, which will carry forward branding for Incredible India and Dekho Apna Desh. The aim is to create real-time value with Alliance Air, and we are going to work closely in this regard. In fact, next week, we are setting up a meeting where MOT and Alliance Air teams will meet with industry stakeholders to see how real-time value can be created for all those involved while finding win-win solutions for all.” Apart from the online marketplace, she revealed “We are ready with a lot of campaigns. Whenever it is decided at the highest levels that it is the right time to launch our campaigns, we will come up with that.”
Reduced marketing budgets
Many questions were raised about the cutting of overseas marketing budget allocation for 2022–23. Responding to the same, Brar said, “The government allocates budgets to different ministries, which, in turn, are allocated to different segments that they want to work on. If there is any segment on which a ministry needs to spend more, it can approach the Ministry of Finance (MOF) again. That is why there is a concept of a budget estimate, where you are largely projecting what is needed under one head, and this goes for a revised estimate again in the mid-term.”
“Around September 30, 2022, there is a re-evaluation to see if more money is needed under any of the heads or if there is a need to re-appropriate from one head to the other. All divisions, ministries, and organisations need to do that exercise, which is done at the highest levels in the MOF, where a relook is conducted. Again, by December-end, that exercise is repeated again to fine tune and see if any segments need more money and the MOF allocates funds to those divisions. Hence, I do not think fund is a concern because what goes in the beginning is only an estimate,” she added.
Opening of borders
Commenting on the recent lifting of quarantine and the long-awaited opening of borders, Brar said, “The government is actively working on this. We have also given our inputs and are looking forward to the announcement of regular visas soon. From November 15, 2021, only a one-month short-term visa, limited to a single use is available. There are many things happening at the highest levels, and we should be looking at opening both the visas and the skies soon.”
