Hon’ble Union Tourism Minister ShriPrahlad Singh Patel holds a ‘Brainstorming Session’ on “Promotion of Incredible India – Post Covid-19” with Influencers and Travel Media on 08th September, 2020 at Hotel The Ashok, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. Around 40 influencers and travel media representatives participated in the brainstorming session. DG, Tourism, SmtMeenakshi Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director ITDC, G Kamala VardhanaRao, ADG Tourism, SmtRupinderBrar, Joint Secretary, Tourism ShriRakesh Kumar Verma and other officials of Ministry of Tourism were also present during the session. All precautions and social distancing norms of Government’s SOP were followed in the meeting.
The session began with the welcome address by
ADG(T), highlighting on the significance of young Influencers and Travel Media
for the promotion of Tourism in the Country.
The Hon'ble Minister of State for Tourism &
Culture (Independent Charge) in his key note address focused on the importance
of showcasing the different offerings of our ancient land, natural and built
heritage and customs and lifestyle to our own people which have long stood the
test of time. He further suggested using COVID as an opportunity to leverage on
the strengths of our country. He stated that Media has been an intrinsic and
critical part of promoting various campaigns in the domain of tourism. The
Hon’ble Minister requested all attendees to give their valuable suggestions to
promote tourism in India. He said that we all represent India and it is our
responsibility to think about post-COVID-19 tourism opportunities in our
country. He said that this is the platform where we can talk about the problem
as well as solutions with reference to tourism-related activities.
Shri Patel said that India
will pick up the speed in the tourism sector again once the situation gets
normal. We all
should be prepared for the post-COVID-19 world where we can serve tourists a
better and safe environment to enhance their travel experiences. He said that
people are very positive and ready to explore the beauty of India with all
precautions; we should create an environment where they could trust us during
this pandemic.
Currently, India’s tourism sector contributes to
GDP is 5.07%. Tourism accounts for 12.75% of
the total employment (direct or indirect) in India. India is one of the hot
spots for tourism and one of the most talked-about destinations in the World
with 38 World Heritage sites that are recognised by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Promotion of
Incredible India is as important as opening up the restriction for tourists to
start cross travelling across states and visit our India under ‘DekhoApnaDesh’.
During the Promotion of Incredible India – Post-COVID session, different
influencers and travel media representatives shared their experiences and
provided their valuable suggestions to make tourism safer, friendly,
accessible, responsible and affordable for all tourists, especially for women.
Some participants gave a suggestion to focus on domestic tourism and less
popular sites of India. They said that India is the home for hidden gems and we
should promote tourism in these areas by providing information and facilities
in these lesser-known great tourist destinations.
One participant suggested opening more sites for
camping with safety measures so that we can promote adventure tourism in India.
Suggestions regarding promoting experiential tourism also came from a
participant; he said that it will encourage other tourists also to explore
different destinations. During the discussion, it was also observed that in order
to promote tourism among masses information-sharing mechanism should be very
strong.
At the end of the session, the Tourism Minister
thanked all the participants for their active participation in the
brainstorming session. He said that we want participation from all stakeholders
in our policymaking, therefore, we have invited all of you to provide your
feedback to us. He said that we have noted your suggestions and these will be
incorporated in our future policy planning.
Shri Patel hoped that India will emerge again as
a favourite tourist destination after Covid-19 era till then we should focus on
our domestic tourism because now those Indians who were to visit foreign
destinations will visit only domestic destinations which will give strength to
our tourism industry.
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