NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday said that it aims to increase the share of global tourist arrivals in the country to one per cent from the current 0.64 per cent. And Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma claimed that the efforts of the BJP- NDA Government were beginning to show results as India had moved up 13 places on the WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, 2015.
“Unless we take on board all stakeholders -- be it the states or the private sector -- in tourism, we can’t achieve the target of one per cent market share in global aviation space in a short span of time,” Sharma said, while talling to reporters on PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Travel Mart 2015, which is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from September 6.
This is the third time India is hosting the prestigious global event. The earlier two were held in Hyderabad and Delhi in 2008 and 2011 respectively.
According to the minister, the government was keen on making India a “round-the-year” destination for global tourists, and they have already launched e-Tourist Visa scheme Karnataka Tourism Minister R V Deshpande said that PATA Travel Mart would have an investor meet, as well, for the first time among other features. Deshpande added that for the first time, an Investors’ Meet is being organised during the event.
Further, he said the Karnataka government is planning to bring in a Tourism and Trade Facilitation Act and will soon set up Tourist Friendly Police or ‘Tourist Mitra’.
The state has also come out with a novel initiative of Adoption of Tourist destinations by corporates for their maintenance and providing facilities there, he added.