"Tourism Has ‘Same Potential’ in India as Agriculture & Infrastructure": PM Modi

It was the seventh of 12 post-budget webinars hosted by the government to solicit ideas and suggestions for effectively implementing the initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2023. In his address to the gathering, the Prime Minister stated that the new India of today is establishing a new work culture.

He expressed his delight at the people of India's positive response to this year's Budget. Reflecting on the previous work culture, PM Modi stated that something as innovative as the post-budget webinars would not have existed if the current government had not been open to discussions with all stakeholders before and after the budget.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the main goal of these webinars is to maximize budget output while also ensuring timely implementation. "These webinars act as a catalyst in achieving the budget goals," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of thinking outside the box and planning ahead of time in order to take Indian tourism to new heights. "In the country, tourism has the same potential as agriculture, real estate development, infrastructure, and textile," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister outlined the parameters for developing a tourist destination, including the potential of the location, the ease of travel to the destination, and new ways to promote the destination.

He went on to say that emphasizing these parameters aids in the creation of a future roadmap. The Prime Minister emphasized the country's vast tourism potential, naming coastal tourism, beach tourism, mangrove tourism, Himalayan tourism, adventure tourism, wildlife tourism, eco-tourism, heritage tourism, spiritual tourism, wedding destinations, conference tourism, and sports tourism.

"Our villages are becoming tourism centres," the Prime Minister said, emphasizing that remote villages are now on the tourism map as a result of improved infrastructure. He stated that the Central Government has launched the Vibrant Village Scheme for border villages and emphasized the importance of supporting businesses such as homestays, small hotels, and restaurants.

The Prime Minister highlighted the increasing number of foreign tourists in India, stating that 8 lakh foreign tourists visited India in January this year, compared to only 2 lakhs in January last year.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of profiling such tourists and developing a special strategy to attract them to the country who have the most spending power. He stated that foreign tourists in India spend an average of $1700, whereas international travellers in America spend an average of $2500 and around $5000 in Australia.

The Prime Minister emphasized that every state's tourism policy must be revised to reflect this viewpoint. He used the example of bird watchers who camp in the country for months to emphasize the importance of policies that target such potential tourists.

The Prime Minister highlighted the basic challenge of the tourism sector, namely the lack of professional tourist guides in the area, and emphasized the need for certificate courses in local colleges for guides. He proposed that guides working in a specific tourist destination wear a specific dress or uniform so that tourists can identify them at first glance.

The Prime Minister stated that a tourist's mind is full of questions, and guides can help them find answers. The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of promoting school and college trips to the northeast in order to raise awareness and begin developing infrastructure and tourist facilities.

The Prime Minister insisted on the development of 50 such tourist destinations that every tourist from around the world must visit during his visit to India. He also mentioned developing apps for tourist destinations in all UN-recognized languages.