In the post-corona era, India has seen a surge in outbound travel, especially to short-haul destinations, due to increased spending capacity. Indians are traveling to countries in Asia and the Middle East, but inbound tourism has struggled to return to pre-coronavirus levels.
As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman prepares to submit a budget for vote on February 1, 2024, the hotel and tourism industry is hoping for measures to revive inbound travel.
Mr. Madhavan Menon, Executive Chairman, Thomas Cook India Ltd., emphasized the need to promote inbound tourism, including reinstatement of incentive schemes, reduction in income tax levels to stimulate disposable income and annual LTA exemption to boost domestic tourism. We have outlined important points regarding He further suggested that TCS for international travel packages be standardized at 5%.
Sharad Dutta, General Manager, JW Marriott New Delhi, echoed similar views, saying the hospitality industry is working hard to drive growth, strengthen competitiveness and position the industry as an economic booster and global tourism attractor. He said he was looking forward to it.
Mr. Dutta emphasized the importance of infrastructure development and skill development to ensure a vibrant and sustainable future for the Indian hospitality industry. He believes that these initiatives will significantly contribute to India's economic growth.
Alok Bajpayee, Co-founder and Group CEO of ixigo, said: “The past year has been a very exciting one for the travel and tourism industry, especially with governments increasingly focused on promoting domestic and inbound travel. It is on track to become a growing aviation market.”
He said that the upward trend in domestic air travel from tier 2, 3 and 4 cities is encouraging, with budgets continuing to be allocated to develop infrastructure, technology and safety measures for existing and new airports in these cities. He said he hopes it will be done. Cities under UDAN scheme.
“Spiritual tourism will be a major focus this year and further measures are expected to strengthen infrastructure and accessibility, including last-mile connectivity in spiritual and cultural hubs across India,” Vajpayee said. added.
First Published: January 31, 2024 1:38 PM IST
