TravTalk - India

Efforts on to win tourists

Ministry of Tourism is leaving no stone unturned to make sure that India is in the eyes of potential inbound tourists, while making sure that domestic tourist influx continues via Dekho Apna Desh campaign.

- Nisha Verma

GKamala Vardhana Rao, Director General, Ministry of Tourism (MOT), speaking at the Pata India & BBC News webinar ‘The New Ways of Marketing to Recharge Tourism’, he comments that the geo-political scenario has not been in favour of tourism. “Tourism has taken a beating, during the pandemic, which is a natural calamity and also because of the man-made impact with the war,” he mentions.

Campaignin­g continues

Rao claims that they have been continuing social media campaigns for a long time. “Apart from that, we have written letters to

ambassador­s and high commission­ers in 20 source markets and have appointed 20 officers in Indian embassies and high commission­s to look after tourism related activities, exhibition­s and connect with local correspond­ents and travel agencies,” he shares.

What’s different?

He also shares that they are concentrat­ing on the overseas Indian diaspora, which is the largest in the world. “We'll be reaching out to Indian diaspora and asking them to interact with the local tour operators and the travel agencies and other local population there. We have significan­t presence in the USA, Middle East, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand,” he adds.

Focus for Incredible India

India, says Rao, is an all-round destinatio­n. “It's not one particular

Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, said that this E-platform will be gamechange­r in tourism. “The reason to launch it on 8th MarchInter­national Women’s Day, is that despite being for all genders and ages, many extraordin­ary opportunit­ies will be generated for women through this platform, which will give them a flexible mode to work any time they want to. It will be a platform for huge opportunit­ies for everyone,” she says. Reddy also

visited Gwalior Fort along with officials of MOT and observed the tourist facilities at the monument. Thereafter, a review meeting was held with the officials of Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeolog­ical Survey of India (ASI) under his chairmansh­ip. A detailed presentati­on was made by Principal Secretary (Tourism &Culture), Government of Madhya Pradesh on progress of various Tourism Infrastruc­ture projects funded by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. A newly built Internatio­nal Executive Guest House at IITTM Gwalior Campus was also inaugurate­d.

 ?? ?? G Kamala Vardhana Rao
Director General, Ministry of Tourism (MOT)
G Kamala Vardhana Rao Director General, Ministry of Tourism (MOT)
 ?? ?? Rupinder Brar Additional Director General Ministry of Tourism
Rupinder Brar Additional Director General Ministry of Tourism

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