Description:
Commonwealth Games 2010(CWG) are likely to push India?s Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) through tourism alone in 2010 to an estimated level of over USD 16915 million, as these are expected to grow at cumulative rate of 20 per cent in next two years, according to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Through tourism last year, FEE?s were measured at USD 11747 million. According to a report in India Infoline News Service, the optimism as to why tourism will register a cumulative growth of 20 per cent in next two years is based on the fact that, by then global meltdown will have subsided to make India a leading tourist destination, especially due to the fact the focus its policy makers are attaching on hospitality sector.
In October 2008, tourism alone fetched India USD 900million with tourist arrivals of over 4.50 lakh, especially from countries like UK, Japan, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, Mauritius, Middle East and Far East etc. Releasing the analysis `Impact of CWG 2010 on India?s Tourism Sector?, D S Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM said that in the last couple of years, FEE?s earnings on an average have been growing at robust average of over ten per cent and there is no reason that their average rate of growth will accelerate during Commonwealth Games for which India is creating lot of facilities by renovating its majority of tourist sites. Also, advertising strengths and intellectual superiority and skills of India?s Ayurvedic, Medical and Clinical Tourism including Religious Tourism are expected to draw a large crowd during the forthcoming Games for multi purposes.
?The ASSOCHAM estimates that if India?s tourist arrival in October 2008 was 4.53 lakh, during 2010 Commonwealth Games which will conclude in October, the foreign tourist arrival is likely to double,? said Rawat. The total tourist arrival in India last year were 5.37 million, and since India will emerge as a lead tourist destination in South East Asian region in next two years, the total tourist arrivals in 2010 is likely to be around ten million.
The ASSOCHAM has suggested that Ministry of Tourism (MoT) in partnership with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and State governments should introduce a special programme `Explore India in CWG 2010? and must organise road shows in UK, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, Canada, South Africa, Mauritius etc., because from these countries, large tourist arrivals are expected towards India. Since the Games will be held in the capital, the Chamber has also recommended the government to identify new heritage, religious, adventure and attractive tourists spots in Northern Regional states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana, Rajasthan etc. to lure the foreign and domestic tourists. India?s hospitality industry, tour operators and travel agents who are currently reeling under global slowdown will ?feel-good? during the CWG 2010 as foreign tourists will be mainly dependent on them for their hotel accommodation, travel itinerary, visa etc.
To grab future opportunities, India?s travel and tour operators should come out with exclusive packages, designed for foreign tourists. These packages should comprise hotel accommodation, short trips to nearby destinations, yoga and Ayurvedic therapies, food and taxi etc. Ayurvedic and Medical Tourism sectors will also be beneficiary during CWG 2010 in view of India?s strength in ancient tradition of Ayurveda and the availability of low-cost Medical Tourism facilities in India. The Chamber estimates reveal that each foreigner visiting India during the period is likely to spend Rs 10,000 to Rs 30, 000 in availing Ayurvedic expertise in various Ayurvedic and herbal centers.
The key private hospitals in Delhi and NCR should also unveil the Special Medical Tourism and Healthcare Packages? during 2010 to tap the large inflow of foreign tourists. The private hospitals in Delhi and NCR like Sir Ganga Ram, Fortis, Moolchand, Apollo, Metro, Dharmshila, Max etc. can start these kinds of packages and services. Better connectivity from the games villages and hotels in Delhi will also pave the way for these hospitals to contribute the Medical Tourism sector. Further India?s famous tourist places in these states like Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Lucknow, Jhansi in UP; Shimla, Kufri, Manali, Panchkula in Himachal Pradesh; Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh; Jaipur, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Kota in Rajasthan; Nainital, Musoorie, Aulli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Ranikhet, Almora in Uttarakhand, Amrtisar in Punjab can attract huge forex earnings and large number of foreign tourists will also explore these tourists sites.
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