Better growth from Tourism
Opinions on budget
------------------------------
♦ Budget focused on 10 iconic sites
○ infrastructure
○ skill development
○ use of technology
○ private investment in branding and marketing
♦ 100 adarsh monuments
○ enhance visitor experience
♦ Initiatives that improve ease of living or transportation are likely to benefit tourism, so industry speaks well about such initiatives
Those with presence near iconic sites want infra to permit greater tourist inflows. Undoubtedly higher airport capacity will boost premium and budget sectors. Most want it done on a war-footing! Focus on excellence beyond infra was praised for its 'holistic approach'. Cox & King CEO say iconic sites development should create "tourism clusters" and offer "diversification of product offerings". MSME players see Mudra loan (Rs 3lakh cr) bringing in new investment and more jobs.
Many are happy to see a 'holistic' approach to transport and environment. For example, raising airport capacity by five times to 1B trips pa (NABH Nirman) is widely praised. Budget has primed balance sheet of AAI so it can raise funds from the market. Its revenue will be boosted by fast-growing, domestic air traffic (900 aircrafts ordered in last 3 years). Regional air connectivity under UDAN is creating demand in lower tier cities.
Railways and roads will undergo expansion and upgradation. Key railway initiatives include suburban rail in Mumbai and Bengaluru, safety first works, Wifi & CCTV in all stations and trains, and escalators in high use stations. Roads will get electronic tolls, service stops, safety first works (eg crash barriers in hilly areas) and emergency medical care. Sea cruise ship terminals will increase business, while river cruise and seaplanes will open up more and more opportunities.
Measures to improve Delhi's air quality were applauded. Amrut scheme for enhancing urban amenities was considered highly favourable to tourism, especially for smaller cities and towns. Tourism has huge potential and its concerns must be kept at the forefront. Others measures asked for:
▬ GST slab down to 18% for all hospitality
▬ infrastructure status for hospitality
▬ better digital and payments infrastructure
PRASAD (pilgrimage) scheme
--------------------------------------------
Previous budgets sanctioned development of 37 sites. Work is ongoing and not close to completion (due 11/2018). Parliament has called it conceptually flawed (see below).
Opinions on budget
♦ Budget focused on 10 iconic sites
○ infrastructure
○ skill development
○ use of technology
○ private investment in branding and marketing
♦ 100 adarsh monuments
○ enhance visitor experience
♦ Initiatives that improve ease of living or transportation are likely to benefit tourism, so industry speaks well about such initiatives
Those with presence near iconic sites want infra to permit greater tourist inflows. Undoubtedly higher airport capacity will boost premium and budget sectors. Most want it done on a war-footing! Focus on excellence beyond infra was praised for its 'holistic approach'. Cox & King CEO say iconic sites development should create "tourism clusters" and offer "diversification of product offerings". MSME players see Mudra loan (Rs 3lakh cr) bringing in new investment and more jobs.
Many are happy to see a 'holistic' approach to transport and environment. For example, raising airport capacity by five times to 1B trips pa (NABH Nirman) is widely praised. Budget has primed balance sheet of AAI so it can raise funds from the market. Its revenue will be boosted by fast-growing, domestic air traffic (900 aircrafts ordered in last 3 years). Regional air connectivity under UDAN is creating demand in lower tier cities.
Railways and roads will undergo expansion and upgradation. Key railway initiatives include suburban rail in Mumbai and Bengaluru, safety first works, Wifi & CCTV in all stations and trains, and escalators in high use stations. Roads will get electronic tolls, service stops, safety first works (eg crash barriers in hilly areas) and emergency medical care. Sea cruise ship terminals will increase business, while river cruise and seaplanes will open up more and more opportunities.
Measures to improve Delhi's air quality were applauded. Amrut scheme for enhancing urban amenities was considered highly favourable to tourism, especially for smaller cities and towns. Tourism has huge potential and its concerns must be kept at the forefront. Others measures asked for:
▬ GST slab down to 18% for all hospitality
▬ infrastructure status for hospitality
▬ better digital and payments infrastructure
PRASAD (pilgrimage) scheme
Previous budgets sanctioned development of 37 sites. Work is ongoing and not close to completion (due 11/2018). Parliament has called it conceptually flawed (see below).
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- Conceptualisation of govt’s ‘Prasad’ scheme radically wrong: House panel
The parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture has referred to the tourism ministry's flagship Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (Prasad) scheme as one whose conceptualisation is "radically wrong" and which needs a "complete relook".
The 31-member committee, chaired by Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien and with 15 BJP MPs as members, presented its report in Parliament last week and punched holes in implementation of the scheme, which has in its scope developing pilgrimage circuits in Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi, among other cities.
Pulling up the tourism ministry for overlaps between 'Prasad' and other schemes run by the ministry, and for slow implementation of the scheme since its inception in 2014, the standing committee appeared to be dissatisfied with the government's response blaming state government agencies for the delay.
The standing committee noted that the scheme was not running properly even three years after its launch. It said, "States are not actually buying the idea of tourism department and their plan. The committee visited Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and during deliberations of the committee, it came to know that they have their own tourism policy. But it seems there is no coordination with the central government."
Punching holes in the scheme, the panel said, "The committee also notes that there is something radically wrong with the conceptualisation of the 'Prasad' scheme itself. The committee finds that study of the 'Prasad' scheme shows that it has not been properly conceived at all. Even today, without government intervention, there are many other well operated religious circuits in the country."
The standing committee recommended that the ministry undertake a "complete relook" of the scheme. Despite the thrust on the Incredible India campaign, the standing committee suggested it was less than happy with the government's effort on the publicity front, especially in overseas destinations.
Pulling up the ministry for "lapses in managing its overseas offices", the panel said, "The committee feels that if the government cannot manage its overseas offices, it should close down all those offices and alternative arrangements may be explored for promotion of Indian tourism in foreign countries."
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