Digital tourism gets boost

Union Minister for Tourism G Kishan Reddy launched e-Marketplace as part of the digital tourism solution for IITFs and IITGs on International Women’s Day to bridge the gap between customers and service providers.

Nisha Verma

G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and DONER, has launched the e-marketplace platform at a special event organised to coincide with the International Women’s Day at Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), Gwalior.

The digital platform (e-Marketplace) has been launched as part of digital tourism solution for IITFs/ IITGs (Incredible India Tourism Facilitators/ Guides), to provide web and mobile app based interaction mechanism, which is to be used by the tourists and certified tourist facilitators/tourist guides. This e-Marketplace portal would be similar to platforms such as OLA, UBER among others which would help IITFs/IITGs to get business opportunities and would work as a bridge between the customer and the service provider.

Also present at the event was Ajay Bhatt, Minister of State of Tourism & Defence; Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar, Member Parliament, Gwalior. Also, virtually the event was attended by Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation; Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare and Usha Thakur, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Madhya Pradesh. In his address, Reddy said that India has great variety of tourism destinations and tourism has immense potential in generating employment and business opportunities. “Students at IITTM have several avenues in tourism sector and they will play a critical role in the growth of the tourism sector. Under the guidance and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vikas (development) is our only mantra and that will lead us to more tourism opportunities. Our government is working shoulder to shoulder with all states to develop tourism in the country,” he adds.

Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, said that this E-platform will be gamechanger in tourism. “The reason to launch it on 8th March- International Women’s Day, is that despite being for all genders and ages, many extraordinary opportunities will be generated for women through this platform, which will give them a flexible mode to work any time they want to. It will be a platform for huge opportunities for everyone,” she says. Reddy also visited Gwalior Fort along with officials of MOT and observed the tourist facilities at the monument. Thereafter, a review meeting was held with the officials of Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under his chairmanship. A detailed presentation was made by Principal Secretary (Tourism &Culture), Government of Madhya Pradesh on progress of various Tourism Infrastructure projects funded by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. A newly built International Executive Guest House at IITTM Gwalior Campus was also inaugurated.