DRMumbai: Inaugurating the 34th annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) in Visakhapatnam, K J Alphons, Union Tourism Minister, said that the target of 20 million foreign tourists by 2020 is quite an achievable target for India.
He said that the tourism sector is performing phenomenally well and grew 14 per cent in 2017 over the previous year; receipts from inbound tourism grew by 19.2 per cent while the global growth average was 5 per cent. “But I am not happy at all because we can do a lot better. If all segments of the industry work together then the target of 20 million tourists is very much achievable,” he said.
The Minister said that the sector has generated 14.62 million additional jobs in the tourism industry in the last four years. He exhorted tourism industry leaders to attract Chinese and Buddhist tourists as they travel in large numbers and India has everything to offer them.
Speaking at the convention, Rashmi Verma IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, said that the growth in foreign tourist arrivals of over 15 per cent and 20 per cent forex earnings growth has been possible because of the partnership of government ministries and the private industry in the country. She urged the private sector to work in a concerted manner to achieve the target of 20 million inbound tourists by 2020.
According to the Secretary, many projects under the two flagship programmes Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD schemes will be completed by December, 2018. Thirty projects will be inaugurated under Swadesh Darshan. Under PRASAD, many of the 25 projects undertaken are close to completion.
An integrated marketing plan focusing on G2G (government to government) and B2B collaborations has been initiated. More than 200 delegates attended the recently held International Buddhist Conclave. India Travel Mart, to be held from September 16-18, along with FAITH is also witnessing tremendous traction with more than 300 buyers expected to attend. She admitted that GST is creating a stumbling block for the growth of the industry. “But the ministries of Tourism and Finance are in touch to address the issue,” she assured.
Pronab Sarkar, President, IATO, emphasised the job creation and foreign exchange earnings potential of the tourism industry. He said the industry must be more pro-active and it is imperative to focus on untapped and emerging markets. He also said that there exists a huge opportunity for promoting adventure tourism in India. “It is high time that segment is tapped,” he said.
Kadakampally Surendran, Minister of Tourism, Kerala and Bhuma Akhila Priya, Minister of Tourism, Andhra Pradesh were the guests of honour. Minister Surendran thanked the industry for their generous support during the recent floods in Kerala. He sought their support to revive tourism in the State. Minister Priya elaborated on the various tourism-friendly policies and schemes of her government and welcomed investments into the State.
Mukesh Kumar Meena IAS, Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Himanshu Shukla IAS, CEO, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority offered felicitations to the IATO delegates. The IATO Hall of Fame Award was presented to mountaineer Ajeet Bajaj who climbed Mt. Everest with his daughter Deeya, creating a world record. The IATO Manual was released by Minister Alphons.
Rajiv Mehra , Vice-President of IATO and Chairman of the Convention welcomed the gathering and Rajesh Mudgil, Secretary, IATO proposed the vote of thanks.
