Customisation is the key: Zutshi
Vinod Zutshi, Secretary-Tourism, Govt. of India, says that the varied tourism offerings combined with the new Civil Aviation Policy allows us to offer customised experiences.
The Government of India has taken many initiatives—like the introduction of the e-Tourist visa and the release of the Civil Aviation Policy—to boost the number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in to the country. According to Zutshi, these moves have only shown positive results in the long term.
“The Indian tourism industry is growing at a very fast rate,” he expressed. “So far, 10.2 per cent growth has been reg- istered in 2014 over 2013. This shows that the growth has almost doubled when one compares it to the average growth rate around the world, which is about 4.75 per cent. If you observe the last four years from 2010-2014, our average growth has been about 7 per cent, 2.5 per cent more than the rate at which the rest of the world is growing,” he added, speaking at the World Travel Market, 2015, in London.
The fact that India has a diverse range of destinations,
the government is able to offer them customised packages to suit their needs, he claimed. “We are incredible because of the plethora of destinations we have on offer and it is very difficult to discover India completely in one go. That’s where customisation steps in. We therefore offer specific products to different countries, ones that will most likely gain their interest help boost the FTAs,” he enthused.
Referring to the new initiatives that have been implemented in the country, Zutshi says that these moves are ‘game-changers’ for the Indian tourism industry. “The eTV was recently launched and is applicable to 113 countries,” he said. “We are currently working on adding more countries and increasing the list to 150, as well as making reforms in the application duration and changing the single entry to multiple entry. The 113 countries where eTV is valid are the potential countries from which we can expect tourists arrivals. Presently, about 15 countries have maximum shares of up to 70-75 per cent. While we are consolidating growth from these 15 countries, which provide 7075 per cent tourists, we are also opening up tourism opportunities from the destinations where we receive lesser arrivals. This combined strategy would result in an increase in arrivals from everywhere. Additionally, the Civil Aviation Policy addresses connectivity issues and strives to solve them. In order to reach India, unlocking the skies is crucial and the policy does exactly that.”
Zutshi attended the WTM with a delegation consisting of 40 stakeholders from India.
While we are consolidating growth from these 15 countries, we are also opening up tourism opportunities from the destinations where we receive lesser arrivals
Vinod Zutshi
Secretary-Tourism, Government of India