2020 exposed the susceptibility of our cultural heritage which is dependent on tourism for surviving forcing the government to consider alternatives to keep not just the sites and monuments alive but also to place India as a preferred destination when the coronavirus pandemic comes to an end.
The Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Prahlad Patel said that he wants to be cautious about the way forward. To quote Patel, “We are still dealing with the pandemic and alternatives that work now, like our activities on the digital platforms, they might or might not work when things are normal. We have to analyse if people would still prefer online platforms at a time when they can visit and actually see the sites. We have to be cautious and not take any drastic steps.”
In the last nine months, the ministry conducted more than 65 webinars that portrayed culture, tradition, museums, monuments and artistes of India under the Dekho Aapna Desh initiative
The tourism sector is one of the largest industries accounting for 6.23 percent of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) generating employment to 8.78 percent of the population. Tourism generated around 275.5 billion dollars in revenue in fiscal 2018 with an annual growth rate of 9.4 percent.
The tourism sector experienced truly harsh times with the nationwide lockdown announced in late March coinciding with the peak tourism season kick-starting from early April onwards. Guides, tour operators, vehicle drivers, hotels, restaurants, shops and other facilities related directly or indirectly to tourism suffered a lot owing to the spread of the virus.
With both flights, inbound and outbound, and domestic train operations suspended, the Indian tourism industry is expected to witness a loss of Rs 1.25 trillion in calendar 2020. Patel said that now is the time to look inwards and promote unexplored parts of the country. If one cannot venture abroad for their holidays or foreign tourists cannot come in, domestic tourism is the only way to keep the sector afloat.
“The loss to the tourism sector cannot be ascertained at this time as the pandemic is still underway. But, domestic tourism is the way to revive the tourism sector. Unexplored, unexploited destinations have to be identified and promoted. That is what we are trying to do, encourage people to visit places within the country,” Patel said.
He also said that India’s health, wellness centers, Ayush hospitals offering alternative care will attract tourists after the pandemic and they should be promoted as post-COVID care solutions.
Tags: Tourism In India
