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Over 8 lakh foreign tourists visited India in January: PM Modi
- Addressing a post-budget webinar on the subject of ‘Developing Tourism in Mission Mode’, PM said there is a need to profile such tourists and create a special a special strategy to attract them to the country who have the maximum spending capacity.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that there is a growing attraction towards India and informed that eight lakh foreign tourists have come to India in January this year compared to only two lakhs in January last year.
Addressing a post-budget webinar on the subject of ‘Developing Tourism in Mission Mode’, Prime Minister said there is a need to profile such tourists and create a special a special strategy to attract them to the country who have the maximum spending capacity. “Foreign tourists who come to India spend an average of $1700, while international travelers spend an average of $2500 in America and around $5000 in Australia.”
He added that India has a lot to offer to high-spending tourists. “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.”
PM Modi said that the new India of today is moving forward with a new work culture. “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.”
The Prime Minister underlined the need to think out of the box and plan ahead to take tourism in India to new heights. “Emphasizing 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 said that there is 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.”
Busting the myth that tourism is a fancy word associated only with the high-income groups of the country, PM Modi said that yatras have been a part of India’s cultural and social life for centuries. “People used to go on pilgrimages even when there were no resources available to them. It used to connect the places of our faith while also strengthening the unity of the country.”
The Prime Minister added that the entire economy of many big cities of the country was dependent on these yatras. Lamenting on the lack of development to enhance facilities suited to the times despite the age-old tradition of yatras, he said that hundreds of years of slavery and the political neglect of these places in the decades after independence were the root cause that inflicted damage to the country. “The India of today is changing this situation.”
PM Modi said that the increase in the facilities leads to an increase in the attraction among the tourists. “For example, the Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi where 80 lakh people used to visit the temple in a year before it was rebuilt. The tourist footfall crossed 7 crores last year after the renovation.”
He noted that the increase in facilities has a direct impact on the number of tourists and the increasing numbers mean more opportunities for employment and self-employment. “India's tourism sector can increase manifold with growing civic amenities, good digital connectivity, good hotels and hospitals, no trace of filth, and excellent infrastructure.”
Prime Minister referenced the Kankaria lake project in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and said that skill development for those working in the food stalls was carried out apart from the redevelopment of the lake. “10,000 people visit the place every day despite the applicable entry fees because of the cleanliness along with modern infrastructure. Every tourist destination can also develop its own revenue model.”
He added that the villages are becoming centers 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.”
Highlighting the basic challenge of the tourism sector, PM Modi pointed out the lack of professional tourist guides. He stressed on the need for certificate courses in local colleges for guides. “The guides working in a particular tourist destination should also have a specific dress or uniform so that tourists will come to know at first glance. A tourist’s mind is full of questions and guides can help them find answers to all those questions.”
The Prime Minister suggested promoting school and college trips to the northeast to generate awareness and develop infrastructure and facilities for tourists. He insisted on developing 50 such tourist destinations that every tourist from around the globe is bound to visit on his 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.
It is the seventh of a series of 12 post-budget webinars organized by the government to seek ideas and suggestions for effectively implementing the initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2023.
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First Published:3 Mar 2023, 10:45 PM IST
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