Promote offbeat domestic destinations: Prahlad Singh Patel

To boost domestic tourism in India, safety and hygiene at travel destinations will be important,  tourism minister Prahlad Singh Patel has said. Tourists want to ensure that the places where he is staying, eating and travelling are safe and sanitized, he said.

All over the world, with the lockdown being enforced and flights being halted, places that mainly rely on tourism for their revenue have been suffering. Moreover, the hesitation of most people regarding the sanitization of the destinations is also a major hurdle. In an interaction with the Indian Express, he said India needs to show a new spirit of innovation to reboot the tourism sector.

The minister said it may become necessary to promote offbeat domestic destinations which promote tourist activities that are in sync with nature and social distancing norms such as trekking, wellness retreats, mountaineering etc.

Talking to IE, the minister said that the success of the segment is measured based on the number of tourists arriving at the destination and the earnings in foreign exchange. Revenue and job loss are the measures to assess the impact of coronavirus pandemic on the sector, he said, adding that the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) has assessed the impact of the pandemic and presented it to the ministry.