Govt’s Rs 20 lakh crore infra push will boost tourism in India, says Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal
Talking at the India Today Tourism Survey & Awards 2022, the union minister stressed upon the government’s thrust on making India a global tourist hub.
- Feb 24, 2023,
- Updated Feb 24, 2023 2:08 PM IST
The Indian government’s big push to expedite infrastructure development in the country will boost local tourism in the coming days, said union minister of state for parliamentary affairs and culture Arjun Ram Maghwal. According to him, better connectivity through roads and railways will encourage the local tourists to visit remote places that are otherwise less accessible.
Speaking at the India Today Tourism Survey & Awards 2022, the minister stressed upon the importance of better public infra for the growth of tourism in the country. “Good roads and railway connectivity attract local tourists, while improvement in air connectivity, cruise through waterways may help travel for foreign tourists. Under the parbat-mala scheme of the union government ropeway technology is set to get a leg up - improving connectivity at hilly regions,” he said.
Meghwal, who hails from Bikaner, Rajasthan and was an Indian Administrative Officer before turning into a politician, said that the contribution of consumption in India’s gross domestic product (GDP) ranges between 67-70 per cent. Tourism has great potential to boost consumption in the country, as more people travel, they would spend money on food, public transport and accommodations - boosting India’s GDP. Meanwhile, private investments need to increase, he underscored.
Additionally, as inflow of foreign tourists grow it would boost exports from India as foreign nationals get the taste of the rich heritage of India’s local handicrafts. “Thus, the government has adopted an integrated approach towards growing tourism, involving multiple departments and/or ministries like culture," the minister said.
Due to restriction related to COVID-19, the number of foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India during 2021 decreased to 1.52 million from 2.74 million in 2020, registering a negative growth of 44.5 per cent, as per data from Ministry of Tourism, Government. In 2021, the top 15 source markets for FTAs in India were the United States, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Canada, Nepal, Afghanistan, Australia, Germany, Portugal, France, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, the Russian Federation, Iraq, and the Netherlands - accounting for 80.9 percent of total FTAs in India.
Some 1.64 per cent of global tourists come from India. The top 10 international tourist arrivals source nations worldwide are France, Italy, Mexico, United States, Spain, Turkey, Austria, Germany, United Kingdom, and Poland. India rose from 25th place in 2019 to 19th place in the world for tourism in 2020.
India’s domestic tourist visits, however, grew by 11 per cent to 677.63 million in 2021, from 610.22 million in 2020.
The Indian government’s big push to expedite infrastructure development in the country will boost local tourism in the coming days, said union minister of state for parliamentary affairs and culture Arjun Ram Maghwal. According to him, better connectivity through roads and railways will encourage the local tourists to visit remote places that are otherwise less accessible.
Speaking at the India Today Tourism Survey & Awards 2022, the minister stressed upon the importance of better public infra for the growth of tourism in the country. “Good roads and railway connectivity attract local tourists, while improvement in air connectivity, cruise through waterways may help travel for foreign tourists. Under the parbat-mala scheme of the union government ropeway technology is set to get a leg up - improving connectivity at hilly regions,” he said.
Meghwal, who hails from Bikaner, Rajasthan and was an Indian Administrative Officer before turning into a politician, said that the contribution of consumption in India’s gross domestic product (GDP) ranges between 67-70 per cent. Tourism has great potential to boost consumption in the country, as more people travel, they would spend money on food, public transport and accommodations - boosting India’s GDP. Meanwhile, private investments need to increase, he underscored.
Additionally, as inflow of foreign tourists grow it would boost exports from India as foreign nationals get the taste of the rich heritage of India’s local handicrafts. “Thus, the government has adopted an integrated approach towards growing tourism, involving multiple departments and/or ministries like culture," the minister said.
Due to restriction related to COVID-19, the number of foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India during 2021 decreased to 1.52 million from 2.74 million in 2020, registering a negative growth of 44.5 per cent, as per data from Ministry of Tourism, Government. In 2021, the top 15 source markets for FTAs in India were the United States, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Canada, Nepal, Afghanistan, Australia, Germany, Portugal, France, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, the Russian Federation, Iraq, and the Netherlands - accounting for 80.9 percent of total FTAs in India.
Some 1.64 per cent of global tourists come from India. The top 10 international tourist arrivals source nations worldwide are France, Italy, Mexico, United States, Spain, Turkey, Austria, Germany, United Kingdom, and Poland. India rose from 25th place in 2019 to 19th place in the world for tourism in 2020.
India’s domestic tourist visits, however, grew by 11 per cent to 677.63 million in 2021, from 610.22 million in 2020.