Tourism Ministry needs to get more funds from Budget 2015, says HolidayIQ's Hari Nair

What does the tourism industry expect from Budget 2015? HolidayIQ’s Hari Nair says the ministry of tourism needs to do much more.

“Tourism industry is massively underfunded. There is a dream, a vision but no funds to fulfil it. The outlay in the current five year plan is Rs 15,000 crore of which only 3,000 crores has been released. Globally and in India, the tourism industry has the largest job creation potential per dollar invested than any industry.With the government wanting to focus on tourism as a core priority, more investments have to be made in this domain.”

This points to an issue with the Ministry with regard to funding. PM Modi is clear on the power of tourism but much more needs to be done by the Ministry," Nair said.

“More projects needs to be rolled out of the Ministry of Tourism that gives a fillip to tourism. The sector can provide a lot of jobs and improve the employment potential in the country. The government needs to kickstart more projects across states and also put in systems and practices that offer fiscal and commercial benefits,” he said.

In India we have been talking of Special Economic Zones for a long time. I feel the government must think in terms of tourism enclaves, Nair said.

“Tourism is still a cottage industry in India. The government can take an active role and create a policy network that allows for opening of enclaves in some areas in the country. For instance, there is a lot of open land in the Delhi-Agra route. The government should consider creating facilities like game parks, hotels, resorts, parks, etc that will encourage tourists to visit these places. It will bring in the tourists as the Delhi-Agra route is a busy route,” he said.