Tag Archives: Tourism Secretary

HAI has presented ‘Vision 2047 – Indian Hotel Industry-Challenges & the Road Ahead’ to V Vidyavathi, Tourism Secretary. It highlights that direct contribution of hotel industry to GDP was $40 bn in 2022, expected to reach $68 bn by 2027, and $1 tn by 2047.

The third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting will be held in Srinagar from May 22 to 24, which will help in boosting tourist footfalls in Jammu and Kashmir. Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism, has said that the Ministry of Tourism will be releasing a National Strategy on Film Tourism during the meet.

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Tourism has said, “Varanasi, infrastructure development has resulted in a 10X increase in footfalls compared to pre-Covid levels, according to statistics shared by UP government. Jammu & Kashmir has seen the highest ever footfall in 75 years of independence.”

Nandini Chakraborty, Tourism Secretary, West Bengal, has revealed that the current occupancy at around 30 operational properties of West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDCL) is 100%. “We have done extensive promotion on social and other media about our properties as well as the state, and the response has been phenomenal,” she commented. Hotels and guest houses at popular tourist destinations Bengal are seeing over 80% occupancy in the last 2-3 months, which is more than the average occupancy of 60-70% which these properties have recorded in the last 2-3 years. Source: TOI

Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism, K J Alphons recently handed over a Memorandum of Understanding under the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project to Resbird Technologies for development of a mobile audio guide app for five iconic sites. The five iconic sites for which the mobile Audio Guide App is to be developed are Amer Fort (Rajasthan), Kaziranga (Assam), Colva Beach (Goa), Kumarakom (Kerala) and Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar). During the function, Alphons also handed over the Letters of Intent to seven shortlisted agencies for consideration under the project in the presence of Tourism Secretary, Yogendra Tripathi. These agencies would become ‘Monument Mitras’ through the innovative concept of ‘Vision Bidding’, which will give them the opportunity to associate their CSR activities with a heritage site if the Vision Bid is selected. The ‘Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan’ project is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and State/UTs Governments. It aims to involve public sector companies, private sector companies and corporate citizens/individuals to take up the responsibility for making our heritage and tourism more sustainable through development, operation and maintenance of world-class tourist infrastructure and amenities at ASI/ State heritage sites and other important tourist sites in India.  

The Federation of Associations in Indian Travel and Hospitality (FAITH) recently organised a farewell dinner for Rashmi Verma, Former Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, at the ITC Maurya, New Delhi. Verma superannuated from her position on November 30, 2018. Thanking her for her contribution to the inbound industry, Subhash Goyal, Secretary General, FAITH, said, “Rashmi Verma has been a great support to the industry in her tenure and has been instrumental in taking many initiatives during her tenure that have proven to be a gamechanger for the industry. The number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) to India crossed the 10 million mark during her tenure. She was a great support for organising the first India Tourism Mart (ITM) in New Delhi recently. She was also a call away for all of us whenever there was an issue plaguing the industry. It has been a pleasure for the industry to work with her and we would like to thank her for being a constant support for all of us.” Also present on the occasion was Yogendra Tripathi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, who has succeeded Verma recently. All the presidents and senior members of the associations that are part of FAITH were also present at the event.

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department is now working on six marquee projects which offer tremendous growth and potential for investments. This was informed to participants at a panel discussion on tourism on the opening day of the three-day CII Partnership Summit by AP Tourism Secretary Mukesh Kumar Meena. He said that the Special Tourism Zone at Madhurawada and INS Virat aircraft carrier museum in Visakhapatnam, Havelock Bridge in Rajahmundry, Bhavani Island in the middle of Krishna river in Vijayawada, Kakinada Hope Island under Swadesh Darshan scheme in East Godavari district, and Gandikota Fort in Guntur district  would be developed with private participation. The major challenge identified is availability of infrastructure. In terms of domestic tourism, Andhra Pradesh is number three in the country after Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. “It would not contribute to the economy unless and until we increase the length of stay of tourists which can be done by creating the infrastructure and make their stay enjoyable,” Meena observed.

Tourism Secretary Rashmi Verma has said that the Government of India will soon announce a new ‘Adopt a Heritage’ campaign in association with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). With an aim to encourage the corporate and private sectors to adopt a heritage monument, the campaign will give a boost to the heritage tourism circuit through public-private partnership. Verma announced this on the sidelines of IATO Convention underway in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. She also announced the second edition of Incredible India campaign, which will be market specific and will be based on India’s thematic circuits.

In an attempt to harness the potential and give due focus to MICE tourism, the Ministry of Tourism will soon appoint an advisory body exclusively for MICE which will be headed by the Secretary Tourism as Chairman. A task force for adventure tourism will also be constituted with Secretary Tourism as Chairman in order to take immediate steps to boost niche tourism products in India. This was informed by Vinod Zutshi, Tourism Secretary, Government of India, at the 9th Conventions India Conclave (CIC) organised by India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB). “We have decided that professional consultants will be taken on board in order to conduct proper study of the market and stakeholders of the industry and chart out a roadmap for the next 10 years which will give a proper direction and strategy in the long term and also define the roles and functions of the stakeholders in order to achieve the targeted goals.” said Zutshi. The advisory body will work in tandem with the private stakeholders, hoteliers, state governments and Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Chairman, India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB), explained that in order to make the MICE industry more competitive, GST rate for this industry has to be in the lower brackets as it is a very price sensitive market. Billa added, “The MICE industry has to lead from the front as the leisure segment alone cannot contribute to the long term goal of 2 per cent Indian share in global tourism numbers.” MoT is also working with the stakeholders in the industry to conduct the DRV Convention in September 2017, informed Zutshi.

India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), a PSU under Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, on completion of its 50 year of inception on October 1, 2016, launched a logo marking the golden jubilee of ITDC. The logo was unveiled by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism and Culture in presence of Vinod Zutshi, Tourism Secretary, and other senior officers of Ministry of Tourism and ITDC. In order to commemorate the Golden Jubilee celebrations, various activities have been introduced during the fortnight starting September 24, 2016 till October 8, 2016. Special offers on room tariff and food & beverage outlets in all ITDC hotels, issue of Elite Card to every 50th guest during this period, plantation of 50 saplings each in some hotels of ITDC, painting and slogan competition, lighting of all Delhi based hotels, presenting souvenirs to guests visiting ITDC hotels on 1st October 2016 are certain activities planned during the celebrations.