The Niti Aayog, a think tank for public policy, has proposed a number of proposals to boost the Indian tourist sector and assist industry participants in overcoming the financial hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The aviation industry, including airlines, ground transportation, and airports, should receive direct financial support, according to the Niti Aayog. It also suggests exempting parking and landing fees. These steps are intended to assist the aviation industry in recovering from the negative effects of the pandemic.
The Niti Aayog also emphasises the potential of medical tourism (value-added travel) in India. In order to effectively brand and sell medical tourism, it recommends closer coordination between the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of External Affairs. Additionally, the think tank suggests setting up a separate tourist fund under the Ministry of tourist, which would offer loans without collateral with a 10-year payback term, a two-year moratorium, and a low interest rate.
The Niti Aayog proposes the creation of a 500 crore rupee fund, which would be invested by the Ministry of Tourism in easily revocable government bonds or assets. For the next 20 to 30 years, they also suggest investing INR 100 crore year to safeguard the industry’s viability during crises.
The Niti Aayog also recommends beginning a new marketing campaign named “Incredible India 3.0” with an emphasis on important source markets like the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Japan. For the next five years, this programme intends to boost travel to and from these nations.
These suggestions aim to address the difficulties the Indian tourism sector is facing and offer assistance to resuscitate and sustain the industry, assisting in its recovery from the pandemic’s effects.
