The industry body ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) held a roundtable discussion on the revival of the tourism sector, attended by industry leaders to shed light on key focus areas for the revival of segment, the way forward and how the industry can convert the crisis into an opportunity.
Addressing the gathering, Arvind Singh, Tourism Secretary, Government of India, mentioned, “We have to inculcate confidence in the minds of the travelers. The pain points of the travel sector have been discussed. What we are going through is a once in a century event, we have seen ups and down and after every down there is always an up. We have seen the same in the first wave, where there was a revival after a pushback. We are hearing signs of revival, with people travelling to the hills. We are witnessing the revival again from the second wave of the pandemic in the domestic tourism sector. The ministry of tourism has maintained dialogue with the industry. Lots of suggestions have come up which we have examined and have taken up with the finance ministry and the other stakeholders.”
Putting forth his views while presenting how India as a destination can become a leader in the space of Medical Value Tourism, Chairman and Managing Director of ITDC, G Kamala Vardhana Rao said, “The increasing globalisation of healthcare services has led to the rise of medical tourism. India is visited not only for its tradition, enthralling beauty, and delightful diversity but also for its high-end healthcare ecosystem and world-class medical treatment. Over the years, India has become an attractive destination for travelers from across the globe to attain best-in-class clinical treatment, recharge, and rejuvenate. Moving ahead, the tourism sector would require constant support from the domestic travelers to drive the demand in a post-pandemic world.”
The round table discussion was also attended by senior functionaries across the tourism sector.