ABHISHEK CHAKRABORTY – Jaipur
Domestic segment is the backbone of India’s tourism growth because of its immense potential in the country. “We are a country with billion plus people, and we have a huge nation to showcase ourselves, so domestic tourism plays a very vital role,” said Jyotsna Suri, vice president FICCI and CMD, Lalit Suri Hospitality Group. She believes that in a country like India, which is so large, one cannot survive only on foreign tourist arrivals. “You must have a very robust domestic tourism,” Suri added.
Citing the example of the United States, Suri said, “America’s tourism industry is thriving because of domestic tourism. India is a very large country. Smaller countries want FTAs, but in India because of the diverse nature and the huge subcontinent that we are, domestic tourism plays a vital role.”
Suri with FICCI also initiated the The Great Domestic Tourism Bazaar three years ago to boost the domestic tourism bazaar. She said that the third edition of the Domestic Tourism Bazaar will be held at The Lalit, New Delhi, from September 27 to 29. “We had a huge response on the Great Domestic Tourism Bazaar and it is really helping to boost the domestic tourism,” said Suri.
According to a recently conducted survey by FICCI, 83 per cent of the respondents said that the current environment in India was very safe for travel. Suri ensured all foreign travellers that they would have a memorable and safe experience in India. “The government of India is making every effort to provide security and make the environment as safe as possible. Tourism will only happen if the environment is safe,” said Suri.
Speaking on the sidelines of the GITB-2013, Suri said rationalisation of the GST will be a big boon for the tourism industry as different taxation levels for different states is very inconvenient. She also said that to compete with South East Asian countries like Malaysia and Thailand which saw more than 20 million arrival in 2012, the Indian government needs to recognise the potential of tourism. “It is only then that there will be some change of thought and change of policy,” added Suri.
