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Over 8 Lakh Foreign Tourists Visited India in January: PM Modi
- Tourism has the same potential as agriculture, real estate development, infrastructure and textile
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that there was a growing attraction for India, as evident from the over 800,000 foreign tourists that visited the country in January. In January last year, about 200,000 tourists had visited India.
Addressing a post-budget webinar on 'Developing Tourism in Mission Mode’, the prime minister said there was a need to create a special strategy to attract tourists with maximum spending capacity. “Foreign tourists who come to India spend an average of $1,700, while international travelers spend an average of $2,500 in America and around $5,000 in Australia.”
The webinar was seventh in the series of 12 organized by the government to seek ideas and suggestions for effective implementation of initiatives announced in the Union Budget for 2023-24.
“The main objective of the post-budget webinars is to maximize the output of the budget as well as its timely implementation. “These webinars work as a catalyst in achieving the goals set during the budget," PM Modi said.
Going back to talking on tourism, he said, “Every state needs to change its tourism policy to align with this thought. He gave the example of bird watchers who camp in the country for months and underlined that policies should be made to target such potential tourists.”
“Emphasising parameters such as the potential of the place, ease of travelling to the destination, and new ways to promote the destination helps in preparing a roadmap for the future," he added.
PM Modi said that there was huge scope of tourism in the country. “Several places in India are identified through the route of competitive spirit and challenge in this year’s budget while also focusing on the holistic development of the destinations.”
He also said tourism promotion should also focus on highlighting yatras which have been a part of India’s cultural and social life for centuries.
He added that villages were becoming centres of tourism. “Remote villages are now coming up on the tourism map due to their improving infrastructure. The central government has started the Vibrant Village Scheme for the villages situated along the border and emphasized the need to support businesses such as homestays, small hotels and restaurants.”
The prime minister suggested promoting school and college trips to the northeast, and generating awareness and developing infrastructure and facilities for tourists. He insisted on developing 50 tourist destinations that every tourist feels bound to visit on a trip to India.
“Tourism has the same potential in the country as agriculture, real estate development, infrastructure and textile. This webinar will seriously consider every aspect related to tourism and come up with better solutions,” PM Modi concluded.
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First Published:3 Mar 2023, 05:48 PM IST
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