speech on need to promote tourism in india
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Need to Promote Tourism in India
There are many benefits involved in travel and tourism. Tourists generate lots of economic activities. Since India is a fast developing country, it needs considerable impetus of propitious economic activities. Tourism helps in providing the much needed impetus to our national economy.
Firstly, historic buildings help create vibrant, cultural downtowns that engender tourism, art, festivals, and other activities which in turn draw investment, revenue, and economic growth. A dynamic historic downtown can be the hub of community life: a place to shop, invest, create and live. Simultaneously, preservation can be a tool to boost economy and quality of life. Local residents benefit through the services that rise naturally in demand due to economic activities generated by tourism such as learning and recreational activities.
The second benefit of travelling and tourism is the economic and public benefits that act as powerful tools in sustaining local economy, creating jobs, and even generating capital. The aesthetic, cultural and historical benefits of tourism are well known, but now, communities are realizing that there are positive economic effects also. Can you just imagine how much wealth India earns from foreign tourists that visit Taj Mahal, Delhi, and Rajasthan? Some of the old historical buildings have been converted into heritage hotels? Thousands of people get employment and jobs due to the tourism that is boosted by the preservation of forts and other historical monuments.
The third benefit that we derive from tourism is the positive image that is formed in the eyes of the foreign and local tourists. Well maintained and preserved forts and buildings send a positive message to the visitors about our caring and organized national character. This not only helps in winning over the confidence of the foreigners, but also gives boost to self-confidence. So we must promote tourism and maintain our historical buildings and give them new look!
Also, the Centre considered inclusion of tourism in the Concurrent List, hitherto a state subject, and setting up a Board of Tourism Industry and Trade as part of new initiatives to boost development of tourism in our country. Recently, the Union cabinet has also decided to corporatise the tourism and catering operations of the Indian Railways; a Railways Catering and Tourism Development Corporation is to be set up for this purpose.
A new National Tourism Policy has been envisaged and is awaiting clearance by the Union cabinet. Ananth Kumar, the then Union Tourism Minister, maintained: “We want to open up (tourism and travel sectors). We want to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investments in tourism infrastructure development activity”.
Subsequently, he declared Swagat, Suchna, Suvidha and Suraksha (welcome, information, facility and security) to be the primary goals of the Ministry for development of tourism in our country. The Ministry has set an ambitious target of 8 per cent growth in tourist arrivals. It is interesting to note that the Uttar Pradesh government has drawn up a special strategy to encourage tourists to spend longer hours in Agra-Vrindavan Circuit to promote tourism in the region.
The strategy involves clubbing the various monuments in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri with Vrindavan as a single tourist circuit and build up tourism infrastructure in the region so that tourists stay for longer duration in the region. The state government is also planning to set up a tourism police.
On March 9, 1999 the Maharashtra government announced major reductions in taxes and other duties for those who are interested to invest in tourism projects in the state. According to the then Shiv Sena-BJP combined C.M., Narayan Rane, “the move is aimed at boosting the tourism sector”. The state government has already granted Sindhudurg district the status of tourism district.