Intervention at the right time

Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog, says that the government is aware of the hardships faced by the industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but will intervene when the time is right.

Nisha Verma

Amitabh Kant has said that the government is in cognisance of the industry’s plight and that several decisions have already been taken before the pandemic. “We had taken several decisions prior to COVID. We’d reduced the visa fee, reduced the GST on rooms under various categories of hotels and created a new class of visa valid for a month. All these were measures that will pay rich dividends to the industry. However, I can assure you that the government is fully aware of the challenges being faced. As we see growth in domestic tourism and as international travel opens, all issues will be considered favourably and we’ll take positive measures to give a massive impetus to travel and tourism in the days to come. It is important to understand that government intervention is necessary, but it should come at the right time and therefore, all of us will work with the travel and tourism industry,” added Kant, speaking at the inaugural ceremony of India Tourism Mart (ITM) 2021.

In an optimistic address to delegates and industry partners, he said, “I have been a long-term believer in the huge multiplier impact of travel and tourism. The sector accounts for almost 9.5-10 per cent of India’s GDP, contributes about 8.1 per cent to India’s employment, and has a huge impact across several sectors of the economy. While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted several sectors, it has detrimentally impacted travel and tourism the most not only in India but globally. Also, I have no doubt that tourism will bounce back with vengeance and that tourism will drive India’s recovery both in terms of employment and in terms of growth, and to my mind, the best of tourism will be seen in the next decade as it will grow and expand in a manner we can never envisage.”

Lauding the surge in domestic travel that India has recently witnessed amidst a pandemic, Kant said, “All Indians are rediscovering India. As COVID-19 subsides and the vaccination is rolled out both in India and across the world, travel will restart. Because of India’s huge vaccination capacity, it is the vaccine capital of the world. This will accelerate travel, both in India and abroad. I am sure all of you will see very good times, and this will continue for a very long period. This is a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic that has impacted everyone, but you will see growth consecutively for several years and you should prepare yourselves accordingly.”

The NITI Aayog chief also underlined that tourism never works in isolation. “It is a function of several other sectors of the economy. The government is building a national infrastructure pipeline in terms of creation of highways and expressways. It is bringing in the private sector toplay a part in airports, and doing asset monetisation and creating experiences across the country. The focus in the new Budget is on revival of infrastructure, which will be a catalyst to the growth of travel and tourism in the coming days,” he concluded.