MOT focuses on China

Ministry of Tourism aims to increase its share in the Chinese outbound market by participating in key events.

TT Bureau

Meenakshi Sharma, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, claims that MOT has received a good response for India Tourism Mart (ITM).

“This year, ITM is going to be bigger than the previous year. We are also focusing on the China market. This year, at CITM, we are collaborating with CII and will be present in large numbers because with China being the most important outbound market today, India needs a better share of it,” she said. Sharma also expects the e-Visa fee reduction and the extension of its validity from one year to five years to boost arrivals to India.

Commenting on the recent meeting of the Minister of Tourism, Government of India,with state tourism ministers, she said, “It was shared at the meeting that MOT will not sanction money for new projects under Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD schemes until ongoing projects were completed. Funds are a scarcity and tourism needs a lot of infrastructure. Hence, if states perform better, they will get a faster clearance of funds.”