10th March 2023
Editorials
Context:
As one of the fastest-emerging tourist destinations in the world, India’s travel and tourism sector will be the key axis of development in the coming years.
Growing Tourism sector in India:
- Budgetary allocations: Budget 2023, at the beginning of Amrit Kaal or the period of intense robust growth, has outlined the path to developing tourism in mission mode.
- Expanding its scope worldwide: India’s G20 presidency together with Prime Minister Modi’s vision to develop 50 destinations across the country has provided the right fillip to the tourism sector.
- Improved performance indicators: India’s global ranking on the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index.
Major initiatives:
- Addressing Unemployment: Growth of Tourism sector is a collective action by industry stakeholders and the government to shape an ever-brighter future for the sector, accounting for 10 per cent of the total employment directly, and providing 8 per cent of the overall GDP.
- Strategic planning: The Union budget has listed six themes for the development of the sector — convergence, public-private participation, creativity, innovation, digitisation and development of destinations.
- Collaborating Public, private and community participation: It stimulates creativity, enhances competitiveness and achieves visionary results, which may be difficult if all parties were to operate in isolation.