Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs
Related Articles
- Up to 50 new tourist destinations will be developed; an information-driven app created for tourists and ‘Unity Malls’ will be set up in State capitals to showcase handicrafts and products with geographical indication (GI) status.
- These are among the slew of measures announced in the Union Budget for promotion of tourism that will go into ‘Mission Mode,’ said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, as she presented the Budget.
- There was, however, no increase in Budget allocation which remained at ₹2,400 crore.
- These 50 destinations would be selected through a challenge, and developed as a complete package.
- The mobile app will provide tourist-friendly information like physical and virtual connectivity, and details on tourist guides, among others. A high standard of street food would be ensured, to enhance the tourist experience.
- The Budget also incentivised domestic tourism for the middle class, announcing sector-specific skilling and entrepreneurship development to achieve the objectives of the Dekho Apna Desh initiative.
- Under the Vibrant Villages Programme, tourism infrastructure and amenities will be facilitated in border villages.
- The Finance Minister said States will be encouraged to set up a Unity Mall in their capitals, or the most prominent tourism centre, or the financial capital. These malls would work towards the promotion and sale of each State’s own ODOP (one district, one product) and other handicrafts. They would also provide space for such products of other States.
Large potential
- “There is a large potential to be tapped in tourism. The sector holds huge opportunities for jobs and entrepreneurship for youth in particular,” she said. Stakeholders in the tourism sector, however, had mixed reactions.
No infra status
- “While we are thankful that the Finance Minister has touched upon developing tourism on a mission mode along with destination development, the Indian tourism, travel and hospitality industry was keenly looking forward to getting the vital infrastructure status, to be treated at par with merchandise exports and to have gotten enhanced support to tourism for global marketing
- Rajiv Mehra, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), said measures like development of tourism infrastructure at border villages and the development of 50 tourist destinations was very encouraging, as these would help in the growth of domestic and international tourism in India.
- He, however, added, “None of our demands like rationalisation of GST on tourism industry, exemption of GST on foreign exchange earnings and refund of tax on shopping under Tax Refund to Tourist Scheme, for which there is already a provision in the GST Act, have been considered.”
SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, PIB
