Vol. XXXII Issue 3; February 1st fortnight i ssue 2020 A DDP PUBLICATION Pages : 40+4 Pages Supplement ` 20/- Special TravTalkIndia.com ddppl.com Vol. XXXII Issue 3; February 1st fortnight i ssue 2020 A DDP PUBLICATION Pages : 40+4 Pages Supplement ` 20/- com alkIndia. T TravTalkIndia.com ddppl.com Scan & Share Tourism is still struggling The travel fraternity believes that the sector needs more nurturing from the government to reach its potential, as it hails the recent policy amendments in terms of GST and e-Visa fee. Tourism is not a pampered Had we been a pampered sector, I’d like to disagree that tourism sector just because GST adjustment we would have grown by leaps and is a pampered sector. The sector is has been done and e-TV is being bounds and we’d not have been strug- working very hard and struggling, given, which was a long-standing gling at 10 million tourists. Of course, since nobody is giving us any benefit. demand for the country and was government support is also there. The government does talk about it, very important. Tourism has not been We are thankful to the government to but there is nothing on ground zero. declared as an industry, tourism SMEs reduce the GST and visa fee. However, This sector deserves more and really in the country do not get any funding there is a lot more to be done and a lot needs an impetus in terms of govern- in India, there is no regulation or can be achieved with full support of the ment policies. We are doing everything Naveen Kundu entry-level barrier in tourism that can HS Duggal government. The aim for all of us is to Rajesh Mudgill possible, but the government needs to Managing Director guarantee services and safety provided Managing Director achieve big inbound numbers and make Managing Director work in tandem. EbixCash Travel & Holidays Minar Group Planet India Travels to the tourist. India a viable destination. Contd on page 6 Are policies in line with set goals? A majority of TRAVTALK readers, 70 per cent to be precise, believe that the recent changes 30% in government policies for both tourism and hospitality will help the country achieve No its targetget ofof 202 million tourists by 2024, while the remaining 30 per cent believe 70% thatt more work needs to be done to achieve the coveted milestone. Yes During the period January-December 2019, India registered 3.2 per cent growth in Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs). BULLETIN SA tests e-visa for India In an effort to double its numbers from India by 2030, South Africa’s tourism ministry recently announced an e-visa regime for Indian passport holders on a pilot basis. The project was launched in the fourth week of January 2020. Hazel Jain South Africa, said, "We want to About 32 agents attended the where a few types of travellers remove the barriers for entry morning session where they such as business travellers, outh African Tourism into South Africa for Indian trav- discussed ideas on how they diplomats, frequent travellers Srecently concluded the ellers and for this, we will intro- can push numbers. to South Africa will be afforded 17th edition of its three-city duce an online visa application multiple entries. We are waiting roadshow in Mumbai where the system (launched in January With this e-visa process, the forour Parliament to ratify this,” country’s Minister of Tourism 2020). This will be on a pilot turnaround time will be around Kubayi-Ngubane said. The joined the delegation to make basis for now and we will look five days, but with no change minister recalled that South some path-breaking announce- at introducing it formally with in visa fee. The minister added, Africa had also recently ments. Mmamoloko Kubayi- full implementation by April “We also wanted to have a visa abolished the need for the Ngubane, Minister of Tourism, this year.” This was keeping in line with the ambitious aim of This will be on a pilot basis for now and South African Tourism to cross 100,000 visitors from India in we will look at introducing it formally with 2020 and effectively doubling the numbers and touching 21 full implementation by April this year million arrivals from India by 2030. The minister also held fee waiver for Indian travellers, unabridged birth certificates an exclusive session with but this was not passed. necessary for travelling minors. key travel trade partners However, our ultimate aim for from Mumbai. India will be to waive it off. Two “We will now have a more countries – India and China – focused marketing strategy will be part of this new e-visa for India. We are very keen on pilot programme.” enhancing our sports tourism, incentive groups and weddings She added that another is- apart from families,” she said. sue with visas was multiple Her ministry is also in talks with entry. “A Memorandum of a couple of airlines – Indian Understanding has been signed and Middle Eastern – that fly to between the South African Min- both India and South Africa to ister of Home Affairs and their connect the two nations with a counterpart in India for this, direct flight. TRAVTALK brings to you news and events that made years headlines 25 years ago with relevance even today. From the archives, we VIEWPOINT present the February 2nd 1995 issue: Make way for the Welcomgroup which strengthened its Bhavan- will offer twenty deluxe magnificent Umaid Bhavan Palace presence in Rajastahn, a thrust area rooms and twenty more will be Hotel in Jodhpur, the Royal Castle for the group’s leisure sector, with a added some thereafter. Kota, a city in Khimsar (recently renovated with Indian traveller brand new five-star deluxe property in of lakes, palaces and ancient palaces the addition of a swimming pool) Jaipur, Rajputana Palace Sheraton, and ancient temples is a mere and the Lalgarh Palace in Bikaner. has taken over the Maharaja’s three-hour drive from Jaipur and Welcomgroup is looking at more f one could list the many positive outcomes of In- palace in Kota. In the first phase very close to attractions like Bundi, palaces in Rajasthan as part of its Rs dia’s growing middle class in terms of both size and which will be completed within a Ranthambore and Jhalawar. 700 crore development plan for the I few months the Kota Palace-Umed Welcomgroup already runs the next five years. spend, rapid increase in international travel would feature in the first five entries, to say the least. The Indian traveller has both the means and the hanker- ing to travel, and yearns to share it on social media. Holiday No wonder then that the world is recognising India as Inn at one of the most sought-after outbound markets, one that can breathe new life into a country’s economy Jaipur through tourism alone. This label has made many a Holiday Inn, Jaipur, a joint venture country ease their visa regime to one that is ever- of holiday Inn more welcoming of the Indian tourist. While some Worldwide and Inn Realty Hotel have actioned visa-free entry for Indian travellers, Ventures Ltd, Jaipur some others are working their way to ease the visa opened in 1995. process altogether. Still some others are partnering to open visa application centres beyond Tier-I cities of India, helping them cater to the growth in travellers from across the country’s many regions. Government needs to do more While outbound is on the rise, domestic and inbound tourism is also being given a boost by Ministry of Contd from page 3 Tourism (MOT), Government of India. The ministry has undertaken several projects in this regard, in- cluding upgrade of facilities at India’s heritage sites which would be great value additions to visiting tourists and equipping tourist guides with the right knowledge. The ministry continues to regularly in- teract with the trade to identify key markets to tap, Pradip Lulla Rajiv Mehra Deepak Bhatnagar Ravi Gosain while also taking their requests into consideration Acting President Vice President Managing Director Managing Director when devising policies. TAFI IATO Aamantran Travels Erco Travels While these efforts do lay all the groundwork for I personally feel that It is the vision of our Tourism cannot be Our Prime Minister has growth in inbound and domestic numbers, tourism tourism in India needs a lot Prime Minister that employ- labelled as a pampered been talking of tourism for of pampering. In fact, 9.5 ment increases. This would sector. We would love to a long time and in his last stakeholders still largely feel that the steps being per cent of our GDP comes only happen if the tourism be pampered and I hope speech, he said that tourism taken were only long due. The trade feels that while from tourism and hospital- sector is pampered. There the government is able is a growth and employment a reduction in GST and amendment of the e-Visa ity, which is one tenth of the has been a revision in visa to spoil us more with generator for the country. total. Things like rural and fee, which is a big achieve- more benefits. If they Currently, tourism industry fee are steps in the right direction, it is too less, too agri-tourism could be given ment. What is left, however, would do that, it would is very stagnant and we late in India’s tourism story. The sector still awaits a boost if some sort of is that as an individual tour be beneficial to the country, are facing a lot of problems, an ‘industry’ status that would greatly benefit it and incentives could be given.