India, Brazil and South Africa(IBSA) Tourism Ministers’ meet

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Recently, India organised the IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) Tourism Ministers’ virtual meet.

Key highlights of the meeting

• It highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation in tourism to overcome the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on the tourism sector.
• The significant aspect of the meeting was the adoption of the IBSA Tourism Ministers Joint Statement, an outcome document on cooperation and promotion for a speedy recovery of travel and tourism. 
• The Ministers also agreed to implement various tourism activities to be actioned by respective member countries.

Role & importance of Tourism sector 

On the Global Scale

• The tourism sector contributes significantly to the Indian as well as the world economy.
• It is the third-largest export sector of the global economy, behind fuels and chemicals, and in 2019 it accounted for 7 per cent of global trade.
• It employs nearly 10% of people on Earth and provides livelihoods for millions of people.

In India

• Tourism is an integral pillar of the Make in India programme.
  • In India, the travel and tourism sector is one of the largest employers, employing nearly 12.75% (including both direct and indirect employment) of employment share in 2018-19.
  • Tourism tends to encourage the development of multiple-use infrastructure.
    • For Example, hotels, resorts & restaurants, transport infrastructure (aviation, roads, shipping & railways) and healthcare facilities.

• Opportunities 
  • India has over 200 beaches, 38 UNESCO World Heritage sites and 668 protected areas which can attract significant tourism activity.

• India’s ranking in the Travel and Tourism Competitive Index (TTCI) moved up from 52nd position in 2015 to 34th position in 2019. 
  • TTCI is published by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
• By 2028, Tourism & Hospitality is forecasted to earn $50.9 bn as visitor exports compared to $28.9 bn earned in 2018.
• By 2029, Travel & Tourism will account for nearly 53 million jobs as compared to the 43 million jobs directly in 2018 (8.1% of total employment)
• By 2030, India is expected to be among the top 5 business travel markets.
• Further, the domains of medical tourism, eco-tourism, gem & jewellery market, religious tourism and other such niche areas may see a boom.

• Strength- 
  • Concept of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ and multitude of tourism and religious destinations-
    • In India, we believe in the concept of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’—a guest is treated as God.
    • The rich cultural heritage, cuisine, the friendly and welcoming attitude of most Indians towards foreigners help in attracting more visitors to India. 

• Country landscape-
  • The country landscape possesses a gracious natural beauty, and can cater to almost every type of traveller whether they are seeking adventure, wellness, culture and heritage or cuisines.

• Availability of a huge labour force-
  • The availability of a huge labour force both skilled and unskilled can act as a catalyst due to the service-based nature of the tourism industry

• India’s gems and jewellery, handicrafts-
  • They are quite popular among tourists. 
  • Medical Tourism– India is emerging as the most preferred destination for Medical Tourism. 
  • The availability of world-class medical facilities with top class doctors, personalized nursing care, offering specialized treatments at a cost 1/4th that of developed countries.

Challenges of Tourism Sector in India

• Only 43% (Sub-Optimal) utilisation of tourism potential due to lack of tourism centric infrastructure.
• The weakness of associate industries like hotel and accommodation, aviation, railway, roadways, healthcare, entertainment etc. also affect the tourism capacity realisation.
• Cost of travel and accommodation higher than neighbouring countries make them more attractive.
  • A limited supply of hotels and excessive taxation in aviation makes them relatively costly.
• Lack of Marketing: Marketing approach also needs to be changed rather than a mere focus on mystic charm and ancient civilisation.
• Lack of information dissemination and language barrier creates a different set of challenges, especially for non-English speakers.
• Corona Pandemic: Travel bans due to the pandemic have adversely affected the Tourism industry.
  • As per UNWTO estimates, the pandemic has caused a 70% decline in international tourism, taking the levels back by 30 years.

Various Government Initiatives:

• System for Assessment, Awareness and Training in Hospitality Industry (SAATHI)
  • Aim: To ensure compliance with COVID 19 Safety and Hygiene guidelines and to ensure safety and health of employees/ customers.
  • It assists in the preparedness of Hotels to continue operations safely and also restore the confidence of guests and enhance the image of the hotel as a responsible hotel.

• ‘Stranded in India’ portal
  • The Ministry of Tourism launched it to help foreign tourists stuck in various parts of India.
  • A special visa category called ‘Medical Visa and Medical Attendant Visa’ has been created to ease the entry of medical tourists in India.

• Destination North East-2020
  • It is an annual event of the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region.
  • The event highlights various potentials like eco-tourism, culture, heritage and business of the North East Region.

• Adopt Heritage Project
  • Launched in 2017 as a collaborative effort by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), State/UTs Governments.
  • It envisages the development and maintenance of tourist amenities at heritage sites and making them tourist-friendly.

• Swadesh Darshan Scheme
  • Launched by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) 
  • Central Sector Scheme 
  • Aim: Integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits in the country in 2014-15.

• National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) Scheme
  • Launched in 2015 
  • Focus on identifying and developing pilgrim sites across the country to promote religious tourism.

• ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’
  • Announced in  2015 on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel. 
  • Aim: To enhance the bonding between the states and strengthen the unity and integrity of India.
    • It showcases the rich heritage, culture, customs and traditions of the paired states.
    • Through student exchange programs, it enables people to have a better understanding and appreciate the diversity of the nation.

• National Integrated Database of Hospitality Industry (NIDHI)
  • Created by the Ministry of Tourism.
  • Provides a clear picture of the geographical spread of the Hospitality Sector, its size, structure and existing capacity.

• Dekho Apna Desh initiative
  • Organises webinars, quiz, pledge, discussions to keep people connected with the stakeholders and to encourage citizens to travel within the country.

• Draft National Tourism Policy 2015
  • It is a  successor of the National Tourism Policy, 2002.
  • The Policy is based on the paradigm of “responsible and sustainable” tourism.
  • It evolves a framework of government-led, private driven and community centred tourism approach
  • It focuses on developing the core infrastructure with integration approaches such as Buddha Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Himalaya Circuit, Heritage Circuit, etc.
  • The policy  is based on value addition and strict compliance of 7Ss:
    • Swagat (welcome)
    • Soochna (Information)
    • Suvidha (Facilitation)
    • Suraksha (Security)
    • Sahyog (Cooperation)
    • Samrachana (Infrastructure Development) and 
    • Safai (cleanliness).
  • Aims: To increase India’s share in world tourist arrivals from the present 0.68% to 1% by 2020 and increase to 2% by 2025.

Way Forward

• People’s eagerness to ‘travel local’ in the immediate post-COVID-19 phase is offering a huge opportunity.
• Schemes such as Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD, which boost domestic tourism can be a game-changer.
• Tax incentives and concessions must be extended by both the state and central governments.
• Working Capital and Liquidity are key demands of the tourism sector at present to survive this hard time.

Source: PIB