Tag Archives: Meenakshi Sharma

Meenakshi Sharma, DG, Tourism, will be moving from Ministry of Tourism, according to a circular by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. She will now be joining the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and will be availing promotion. She will join as Additional Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General. Sharma joined MOT in May 2016as ADG and was promoted as DG in May 2019.

Meenakshi Sharma, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, was on a three-day visit to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, during which she visited Uma Maheshwaram, Mannanur, Farhabad, Alampur and Hyderabad in Telangana, as well as SriSailam in Andhra Pradesh. These sites are being developed by the respective state governments under MOT’s Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes.

Meenakshi Sharma, DG, Ministry of Tourism, has said that their campaign for the international market highlighting they are COVID-proof and geared to work with them is ready. “Representatives from the industry have seen some drafts, and it should be finalised in a month or so. The campaign says what India is trying to do,” Sharma says.

Meenakshi Sharma, Director General, Tourism, has said that apart from coming out with the incentive schemes for tour operators in the form of MDA for promotions nationally or internationally, they are also relaxing the rules for approval of tour operators, so that the benefits can go to those who haven’t been involved with us and also for the start-ups. “This is because the promotion and marketing budget for the smaller formations are not burdened to them and the Government can pick up some of that tab,” she added, while addressing a CII Webinar recently.

Since different states in the country have different SOPS, guidelines and quarantine rules, there is a need for uniformity and common protocols across the country, so that people don’t have a fear in travelling, says Meenakshi Sharma, Director General, Tourism. “We need to start working towards making the state governments agree to it. If we start now, may be in 2-3 weeks’ time, we can have some consensus, and even ICMR and Ministry of Health might come up with suggestions on the request of MOT and the industry.”

Meenakshi Sharma, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, has said that they have joined hands with the Quality Council of India (QCI), which is coming out with a certification based on a simple assessment and a small questionnaire to support and handhold all service providers in the tourism industry, from the smallest to the biggest. “We can say that if you have this certification, there is a high level of assurance, and it can create confidence. We are hoping that all the state governments and industry will support this initiative because that will create more confidence in the travellers and there will be one single voice saying that India is ready to receive customers,” she informed.

Meenakshi Sharma, Director General, Tourism, has said that in a bid to create assurance to the foreign travellers to visit India in future, while they are working with various ministries, MOT is also looking at bringing some kind of insurance to be a part of this exercise. For this, she says the MOT is mulling over it internally and would like to take suggestions from the travel trade for the same. She was speaking at the 9th Update and Outlook Meeting by PATA India Chapter, themed, ‘Resurrecting Inbound Tourism post COVID 19’.

Providing major relief to tour operators, Meenakshi Sharma, DG Tourism, MOT, has said that the ministry is liberalising the MDA scheme (both local & international) by giving certain relaxations in the required norms. MOT will soon announce the changes officially. During the virtual IATO members meet, the association also released a promotional video which members can use to market India and restart tourism.

Meenakshi Sharma, Director General, Ministry of Tourism (MOT), claimed that she is against regulation and prefers collaboration with the industry. Speaking at 4th TravTalk Digital Conclave, she said, “I believe in partnering and working together. However, I would like a database to be created where we can connect with each other. I am against regulation, but all for collaboration. I would be very happy if the industry takes that initiative and bring everyone together, so that we can talk.”

Meenakshi Sharma, Director General, Tourism, has said that after releasing the operational advisories in line with the SOPs by MHA and MHoFW, they are now working towards a certification for service providers to create confidence in tourists about their safety and health. Speaking at the 4th TravTalk Digital Conclave, she revealed, “We are working on some kind of certification, where we are going to say that a particular destination/ service provider/ facility is safe and hygienic, in order to create confidence amongst tourists.”