Infra & connectivity, key tourism priorities
Citing investments made by various ministries and departments, G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, DG-Tourism, GoI, requests investors to invest in tourism and infrastructure projects.
GKamala Vardhana Rao, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Managing Director, ITDC Ltd., has urged investors to invest in the tourism sector. "India will host the G20 meetings next year and it will be organised across various states and cities. The states are also investing heavily in building infrastructure. I urge investors to come forward and invest in the hospitality sector," he said, while addressing the 7th National Tourism Investors Meet 2022, organised by FICCI.
Rao said that the tourism sector is the beneficiary of all the investments by various ministries and departments, including national highways, rural development, civil aviation, and railways. "Every state is focusing on the construction of roads as a part of a rural tourism initiative. And here, technology is playing a pivotal role. Use of modernised equipment is ensuring that the roads are strong enough and are not damaged by monsoon rains," he added.
His views hold significance in the view of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP), which was launched to provide multimodal connectivity infrastructure to various economic zones. There are seven engines that drive the plan, comprising roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways and logistics infrastructure. Separate budgets have been allocated for each segment, and GoI is working towards achieving macro-economic level growth with a focus on micro-economic level all-inclusive welfare. Working on the lines of PMGSNMP, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is rigorously working towards the set target of the National Highways Network to be expanded by 25,000 km in 2022-23. The other key area of focus is air connectivity.
Rao said that each year, GoI is taking steps to improve rail and air connectivity, but air connectivity in the northeastern sector still needs to be enhanced. "The government is focusing on discovering new airports and last mile connectivity. Every year, we focus on improving our connectivity, which is a challenge in many destinations, especially in the northeast region. The Prime Minister has given a target that 100 university students in India should be taken to the northeastern states to show and let them experience the beauty, but connectivity is a challenge. So, apart from roads and highways, the government is focusing on airport development and air connectivity," he added.
He also mentioned the G20 summit. India will hold the G20 presidency on 1 December 2022 and convene the first G20 leaders' summit in 2023. "This is an opportunity for India to recover and bounce back," Rao said, urging investors to invest in the development of new destinations and promote India.
WE ARE FOCUSING ON IMPROVING OUR CONNECTIVITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHEAST REGION