Category Archives: MOT

Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of State, Ministry of Finance, in a written reply to Lok Sabha has said, “The closure of travel and tourism industry due to Covid-19 had a cascading effect on the livelihood of people dependent on tourism. Ministry of Tourism has engaged NCAER to conduct a study on ‘India and Coronavirus pandemic: Economic losses for household engaged in tourism and policies for recovery’.” he also stated that considering the challenges faced by tax-payers due to outbreak of covid-19, the government has taken several taxation measures to improve the liquidity in different sectors including tourism and hospitality.

India Tourism, Singapore, is organising a series of webinars cum B2B sessions titled ‘India Tourism Reconnect’ in the ASEAN region on March 11, 16 & 18, in line with the global vaccination drive. The aim is to reconnect the Indian tourism industry with stakeholders in key markets and start preparing for resumption of business as and when it is announced. The virtual meets will start on 11th March with a focus on Philippines followed by Malaysia (16th March) and Singapore (18th March). Apart from the MOT and State Tourism Organisations, leading tour operators, luxury hotel chains, river cruise and luxury train operators are also participating in the B2B session of the virtual event.

In an interaction with Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA, while speaking on opening borders in 2021, Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism, said, “Yes, there will be some sort of reopening. It all depends on the result of vaccination programme in India and abroad. However, I am sure that at least there wold be a partial opening of some regions of the world in this calendar year.”

Ashok Institute of Hospitality & Tourism Management (AIH&TM), a certified hospitality training institute under India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), has introduced a tailor-made program in ‘Entrepreneurship Development’ exclusively designed for graduates in the tourism & hospitality industry. The programme was formally inaugurated by Arvind Singh, IAS, Secretary (Tourism) at a webinar hosted by ITDC. Singh, said, “ITDC’s initiative to create entrepreneurs under its Entrepreneurship Development Programme is a very timely and welcome initiative with the support of Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) under their organizations namely National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) & National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD). All interested graduates, diploma holders, and professionals who have lost their jobs will be approached for enrolment under the programme. These are very tough times for the industry and we are working towards the revival of the sector. I wish the programme all success”. The webinar was convened by Shri. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, IAS, C&MD, India Tourism Development Council (ITDC) and had in attendance eminent officials, including Atul Kumar Tiwari, IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Neelam Shami Rao, IAS, DG, National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Gyan Bhushan, CEO ,National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology  (NCHMCT). Motivational talks and experiences were shared by Sh. Ritesh Aggarwal CEO, OYO Rooms & Sh. Abhinav Balyan, MD&CEO, Educator Extraordinaire Ltd. Under the ‘Entrepreneurship Development Programme’, graduates from hotel management institutes as well as recently unemployed and other experienced hospitality professionals would be provided with the non-financial support for running catering or hospitality-related establishments (canteen/café, Event Management, Manpower Services, Banquet services, …

In a discussion hosted by Indiatourism Guwahati on World NGO Day, panellists concurred that active participation of NGOs in the tourism sector has been a successful phenomenon in the First World, and that their role in the Northeast is evolving. ‘Such associations for the sustainable development of tourism industry has now gradually started in India,’ the MOT also Tweeted.

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, attended the 5th Skiing Graduation ceremony at Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, in Gulmarg, Kashmir, where he addressed the gathering and said that sustainable tourism is the only way to expand the sector and bring expected change in Jammu & Kashmir, revealed a tweet from MOT. He also inspected the facility and encouraged the students.

Post the ease in travel guidelines and resumption of domestic tourism, ITDC along with other industry leaders participated in a webinar organised by Indo Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ISCCI) to discuss the overview of tourism industry in Sri Lanka. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, Chairman and Managing Director, ITDC joined the discussion along with other eminent dignitaries including Dr Krishna Kumar, Former Union Minister, Government of India, Lt Gen Rakesh Kumar Loomba, PVSM, AVSM, Engineer Naseer Ahamed, Member, Parliament in Sri Lankan Parliament, Mr Dushan Wickramasuriya, Director Marketing of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and Mr Aamir Ali, ED, Sri Lanka Airlines. While delivering keynote address during webinar organized by Indo Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ISLCCI) on ‘An Overview of Tourism Industry in Sri Lanka’  C&MD, ITDC highlighted that there is a great potential for improving tourism and tourism related activities between India and Sri Lanka during COVID scenario.  He highlighted the importance of various products such as Buddhist circuit and Ramayana Circuit and mentioned the efforts made by Ministry of Tourism in promoting Indo Sri Lanka tourist relations and strengthening the eco system.  He also highlighted the potential growth in cruise tourism between Sri Lanka and India, Ayurveda and Yoga are the other significant areas of mutual cooperation.

Ministry of Tourism organised a three-day Incredible India Mega Homestay Development & Training Workshop in Darjeeling from February 22 to 24, 2021 to enrich the hospitality skills of the Homestay owners of the region and to ensure a better experience for the tourists. It was organised by MOT Regional Office (East), Indiatourism Kolkata, in association with Eastern Himalayas Travel & Tour Operator Association as Resource Partner and IIAS School of Management as Knowledge Partner.

Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog, speaking at the ITM 2021 inauguration assured that the government intervention for tourism is necessary and would come at the right time. “Tourism cannot grow in isolation, but will grow with many other sectors, and the infrastructure-focused budget is going to be a catalyst of that growth. Government is fully aware of the challenges of the sector,” he said.

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, in his address at the ITM Virtual 2021, said, “After I joined the ministry, I made my customary calls to all senior dignitaries in the Government and the feedback I got was that the top leadership of the government is looking at tourism sector to be one of the major drivers of the economy in the post-COVID world.”