New Delhi, June 13 (IANS). Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said that nearly 300 crore domestic visits were recorded in India in the last one year, which shows the growing strength of the country’s tourism sector and its ability to withstand global uncertainties.
Shekhawat said at the recently held NDTV Ignite Summit that domestic travel in India has increased rapidly. This figure includes all types of travel for sightseeing, social events, weddings, medical travel and other purposes.
“The number of people traveling domestically in India…could include tourism, social event, wedding or medical travel. If a person goes out, stays in a hotel and returns, it is considered a trip. The number of such trips is 300 crore,” he said.
He clarified that this figure does not include travel related to the recently held Kumbh Mela, where around 66 crore people were estimated to visit.
Emphasizing the importance of the domestic market, the Minister said India’s tourism industry is relatively safe from geopolitical tensions and global disruptions as the country has a huge domestic tourism base.
Referring to the ongoing conflict in West Asia and the Russia-Ukraine war, he said such developments could affect the global economy and tourism sector.
However, according to him, the strong demand for domestic tourism in India acts as a strong protective shield against external shocks.
“India is one of those fortunate countries where the strength of domestic travel and tourism is so great that it will not have a major impact on our industry,” he said.
The minister also said that the strength of a tourism market should not be judged only by the number of tourist arrivals.
Comparing tourist destinations like Thailand and Dubai, he said that foreign tourists coming to India stay here for a much longer period.
According to Shekhawat, foreign tourists visiting India stay in the country for at least 10 days on an average, generating huge economic activities despite relatively small numbers.
“India receives around 20 million foreign tourists, but on an average they stay for 10 days, generating around 200 million tourist-nights,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM) member Sanjeev Sanyal said that in the last 12 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s civilizational heritage has got a new identity and the way Indians look at history has changed.
Sanyal said that earlier Indians looked at history mainly from the perspective of invasions and conquests and often ignored their own achievements and contributions to the country.
According to him, now India’s identity is rapidly emerging as a country of explorers, adventurous travelers and innovators and he attributed this change to Prime Minister Modi.
–IANS
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