Indijos turizmas vyksta per filmus, sportą, religiją, sustojimus, darbus

Mr. Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Minister of Tourism, Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Government of Orisa, said that the state will be the flag bearer of sports tourism in India. “While the sector reels under the effects of COVID-19, we have been doing the background work needed to elevate the state’s tourist destinations. Puri is the first city in the country to boast of direct tap drinking water. We are now trying to replicate the same in other tourist destinations as well,” he said.

Mr. Panigrahi said that while the state government for the development of religious tourist destinations had sanctioned INR 200 and 350 crores in 2019 and 2020 respectively, this year encompassing all religious projects, the Government of Odisha has sanctioned a budget of INR 1,500 crores to make religious destinations ready post-COVID.

“Even though international travel has taken a backseat, domestic travel and tourism is slowly on the rise. The projects that we are taking up currently will help the tourism sector in a positive way. We are trying to further make the sector future-proof while improving the livelihood of local communities. We have drafted the Odisha Tourism Development Facilitation and Regulation Bill that will empower the government to register service providers, regulate activities in tourist areas, facilitate bonafide investment proposals, and ensure tourist safety against malpractices,” he said.

Tourism Minister of State, Government of Gujarato, Mr. Vasanbhai Ahir, said that tourists coming to the state in 2019-2020 had crossed the seven-crore mark. “The Government of Gujarat has sanctioned INR 100 crores in developing Shivrajpur beach near Dwarika. Similarly, INR 50 crores had been sanctioned for the development and upkeep of the Junagadh Fort, the work for which has already begun. Gujarat boasts of Asia’s longest ropeway and is the only place in the world that boasts of a white desert,” he said.

Chair of the FICCI Eastern Region Tourism Committee & Managing Director (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan), Atmosphere Hotels and Resorts, Mr. Souvagya Mohapatra, said that the tourism, travel, and hospitality industry was the first to suffer and probably will be the last to recover.

“Our industry, known for its remarkable resilience, will rise to the occasion and come out of this crisis. Tourism and hospitality have always been a self-sustaining sector. However, assistance from the government is the need of the hour. Domestic tourism will drive the revival and the growth of tourism in our country. Seamless movement between states will help restart tourism. It is also important for states to create sustainable tourism and streamline the carrying capacity of destinations to preserve the local ecosystem,” he noted.

Secretary General of FICCI, Mr. Dilip Chenoy, said although COVID had undoubtedly resulted in a setback of the travel and hospitality sector, it has also given an opportunity to rethink how they can reinvent the sector and make it future-ready in more resilient ways. “In the short run, domestic tourism will help restart the industry. The partnerships between the Centre and states, and state and state, are going to be key to achieving this goal,” he said.

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