Highlighting that sustainable tourism has become the buzzword for the sector, Union Ministry of Tourism Secretary Rashmi Verma has said that it’s time the local communities were involved in promotion of the new destinations, with an equal focus on innovative tapping of experiences of the visitors.
Speaking at a session on “Mission: 20 million tourists – possibilities and challenges” organised as part of the ongoing 34th annual convention of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) here on Friday, she said the private sector could take the lead in tourism development as it was being done in Kerala.
New markets like China, South Asia, South East Asia, Japan and Russia should be explored. The Indian Missions are engaging with the tour operators in those countries and publicity is being done through social and electronic media in the native languages, she said.
“Owing to the stand-off with China last year, India hardly figured in the itinerary of the tourists from that country. The marketing strategies have been changed now and the focus is more on our neighbouring countries. The number of tourists from China is increasing,” she pointed out.
Kerala shows the way
Underlining the importance of ‘home stays’ to promote tourism, Ms. Verma said involvement of the local communities in promotion would not only help in popularising the new destinations, but also contribute to the local economy. “ We need such responsible tourism. We must learn from Kerala where the local people have become the stakeholders, by promoting home stays,” she explained.
She appreciated the promotion of ‘experiential tourism’ in Andhra Pradesh, by taking tourists to the crafts village of Etikoppaka, Coffee Museum in Araku Valley.
Connectivity matters
Referring to the connectivity issues, Ms. Verma pointed out that the absence of direct flights from countries such as Vietnam and Myanmar was forcing tourists to take connecting flights from the nearest destination, which meant increased cost and travel time.
“Direct flights are necessary to attract more tourists from Buddhist countries to the heritage sites in the State. This year, the budgetary allocation to Tourism Ministry has improved considerably and it has crossed the ₹2,000 crore-mark.