Category Archives: MOT

A visa-on-arrival facility is available to citizens of Japan, South Korea, and the UAE if they are visiting India for tourism, business, conference, and medical purposes. This visa is valid for 60 days with the flexibility of double entry, said MOT. However, it is available only at 6 designated airports: Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism, GOI, said, “Tourism has the potential to contribute to India’s achievement of being the third-largest economy. India has all the resources to present a world-class tourism sector. We are witnessing diversity and new business opportunities in this sector. The progress and development in this field are crucial.”

After the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) approached the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) for the inclusion of several tourism routes for providing better air connectivity to pivotal tourist places, 53 tourism routes were operationalised by MoCA under the RCS-UDAN. Additionally, 48 helicopter routes are connecting hilly regions of the nation.

Suman Billa, Additional Secretary, MOT, has said that India could have one taskforce that looks at the ‘macro side’ picture, but there is also a need to have four or five taskforces that work on sector-specific issues. “I think there is a clear case for making four or five taskforces, but we will figure out how to structure them,” he said.

The Ministry of Tourism has said that for the promotion of adventure tourism in India, it is important that the policies for adventure tourism destination should focus on infrastructure that is important to adventure tourists. This includes clear signs, well-trained guides and clean trails. The National Strategy emphasizes strict regulation enforcement to guarantee safety and service standards because of the inherent risks in adventure activities.

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, announced that Port Blair seaport has been officially designated as an e-visa port. This move comes as a response to IATO’s request made last August during Mehra’s visit to Port Blair, where he met with the Port Blair Governor. “We are thrilled to share that the Government of India has approved our request to introduce e-visa facilities at the Port Blair seaport,” Mehra stated. The implementation of e-visa services at Port Blair is expected to streamline the entry process for visitors and further promote the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a premier travel destination.

MOT apprised that India has witnessed 9.24 mn Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTA) in 2023, which marks an increase of 43.5 per cent from 2022. Interestingly, 1.22 mn of them were from APAC countries – Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and Republic of Korea. Additionally in 2023, 6.35 lakh foreign tourists arrived in India for medical purposes.

Pradeep Shetty, President, HRAWI, said that he was happy with Maharashtra’s Tourism Policy 2024, adding, “The annual financial allocation of INR 1,666 Cr for incentives and operational support underscores the Government’s commitment to enhancing tourism and hospitality infrastructure. This progressive framework, aimed at positioning Maharashtra as a global tourist destination, is a game-changer for our industry.”

With the aim of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the Interim Budget 2024 yet again showcased a lofty imagery of the ‘new and improved’ India. However, it does fleetingly mention tourism and its development – directly and indirectly. To build a foundation for future development, the FM underlined its Startup Credit Guarantee Schemes that will encourage new businesses in various sectors including, hopefully, tourism. She mentioned that the country ‘is capable of creating more opportunities’ which cannot be further from the truth. Sitharaman added that the focus will be on ffostering and sustaining growth to create great opportunities for all and to fulfil aspirations. She said that the MSME will be an important element of this policy. Coming to aviation, she said that it has been ‘galvanized in the past 10 years’ with number of airports doubled, expansion of the UDAN scheme, 517 new routes carrying 1.3 crore passengers, and the expansion of existing and new airports that will continue, she committed. Mentioning the success of G20 meets that took place across India, she said the country has made itself an attractive destination for MICE. ‘The corporates want to explore India and religious tourism offers great opportunities.

A lot is riding on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s 7th Union Budget presentation, to be aired today. This makes her the first FM to present seven Union Budgets in a row! This Budget is an important one for ‘Amrit Kaal’ and will decide the direction for India’s economy for the next five years. It has the potential to build a strong foundation of our dream of Viksit Bharat, the Prime Minister has said. As the industry braces itself for it, it does so with cautious hope – afraid of being let down yet again due to the absence of any mention of tourism, yet hopeful that perhaps this could be the moment when the sector begins to appear in the FM’s horizon. Watch this space for more updates and industry reactions on the Budget.