ETW STAFF – Mumbai
Airlines, hotels, tour operators and states are likely to witness substantial boom period in their economic activities and likely to contribute Rs 12,000 crore revenues in the state coffers, according to The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
In a forecast paper on ‘Maha Kumbh Mela 2013- Possible Revenue Generation Resources for Uttar Pradesh’ brought out by ASSOCHAM, it has been projected that the Maha Kumbh event alone will generate additional employment opportunities for over six lakh workforce in sectors such as airlines and airports, hotels, tour operators, flyover besides medical and eco-tourism. The unorganised sectors activities would also gain the best out of Maha-Kumbh event as its boom will accrue it the maximum economic gains.
The estimates of the paper further revealed that during Maha Kumbh alone, about one million international foreign tourists are expected to visit India for site seeing which include religious, eco-tourism. In Maha Kumbh, tourist arrivals will extend to over 250 million from 30 million in 2001 to take a holy dip.
According to DS Rawat, secretary general, ASSOCHAM, Australia, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, will be the main countries from where tourists arrivals are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh. Hotel industry is aiming at 100 per cent occupancy rate for Maha-Kumbh which currently is 70 per cent on an average and will witness a growth of 25 per cent during Maha-Kumbh from current growth rate of 15 per cent including small, budget and luxury hotels. National and international media will arrive in large numbers. Duration of foreign tourists stay in India will be 20-30 days. These are likely to employ over 2.5 lakh skilled and unskilled workforce.
| ASSOCHAM analysis on Maha Kumbh Mela 2013 job prospects | |
| Sector |
No. of Persons
|
| Airlines & Airports
Hotel Industry Tour Operators Eco Tourism & Medical Tourism Skilled & Unskilled Workforce for Construction/ Upgradation Unorganised Sector Tourist Guides, Taxi Drivers, Interpreters, Volunteers, etc |
1,50,000
2,50,000 45,000 50,000 85,000 55,000 |
| Total |
6,35,000
|
“Apart from Allahabad, other nearby states like Rajasthan (Jaipur, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Kota, etc), Uttarkhand (Nainital, Musoorie, Aulli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Ranikhet, Almora), Uttar Pradesh (Agra, Lucknow) Punjab (Amritsar, Chandigarh, Ludhiana), Himachal Pradesh (Shimla, Kufri, Manali, Panchkula) will also be the major beneficiaries states in revenue generation where large number of foreign tourists are expected to explore tourists destinations,” said Rawat. “The paper further projected that airlines industry particularly national and international airlines will do much better,” opined Rawat.
Uttar Pradesh Tourism, privately owned hospitals, traders, railway and international airport are likely to earn revenue of over Rs 1,500 crore in Maha-Kumbh through increased inflow of foreign and domestic tourists by offering attractive tour packages and medical tourism facilities, according to the paper.
Interestingly, ASSOCHAM estimates that the overall business during the stretch of two months of Kumbh could touch anything between Rs 12,000 to 15,000 crore and contribute revenues in the state coffers, said Rawat. He also said that security of women would be given priority and besides deploying a large number of female constables, special arrangements will be made to check incidents such as eve-teasing.
According to ASSOCHAM, over one million foreign tourists will explore popular tourist destinations during Kumbh. Out of these one million, Uttar Pradesh tour operators attracts over five lakh foreign tourists for their attractive and different tour packages and each foreign tourist spends an estimated amount of Rs 25,000 in tourist packages, state conveniently generate revenue of Rs 1,250 crore (Rs 25,000 x 5 lakh). Uttar Pradesh Tourism organises varieties of tour packages which can attract foreign and domestic tourists.
