Incredible India 3.0 need of the hour to revive industry: Expert

Dipak Deva, co-chairman, FICCI Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Committee, on Thursday said there were ample opportunities to revive the travel industry but it is necessary to begin work now

Promotion of brand India, a re-energized and well-marketed Incredible India campaign, focus on experiential travel and increased budgetary allocation for tourism are some of the key factors necessary for revival of tourism in the post-pandemic world, say industry experts.

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Tourism Conclave here, Dipak Deva said the revival of tourism in a post-pandemic world would require good promotion and marketing

Dipak Deva, co-chairman, FICCI Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Committee, on Thursday said there were ample opportunities to revive the travel industry but it is necessary to begin work now.

“Every country is standing on the same starting line today. All of them want to open up after the pandemic and are waiting for customers. There is a huge opportunity for incredible India. The government needs to grab the opportunity and bring tourists back in a sustainable manner. It needs to bring a fantastic Incredible India 3.0 campaign that instills trust in India,” Deva, who is also the chairman of FICCI Inbound Tourism Committee and Managing Director, SITA, TCI and Distant Frontier, said.

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Tourism Conclave here, Deva said the revival of tourism in a post-pandemic world would require good promotion and marketing to send out a message that the country is safe for travel and tourism.

“We should go back to four or five key markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Russia and Japan. Through a digital campaign that is popular on social media, we need to drive home the message that India is open for tourism. The most important thing is to have smart marketing companies aboard who can carry the message that India is safe and secure across geographies,” Deva said.

The recovery of inbound tourists into India is expected from January next year, he said. “Once recovery starts, we can expect a steady growth by 2023-24. The aim is to bring growth back to 2019 levels, the best year ever for tourism, by 2024,” he added.

Deva said that while the government has taken steps such as reduction of GST and visa fee and issued 500,000 free tourist visas, it was crucial to grant export status to tourism and increase budget allocation for it.