India
may close tourist offices
To reduce the high cost of running these
offices in cities like New York, Dubai and London,
the Indian govt is planning to set up virtual tourism
offices. India wants a foreign tourist flow of 25-50
million annually.
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Sun may set on overseas tourist offices
New Delh, MAY 08, 2006
GUNJAN PRADHAN SINHA AND RAJEEV JAYASWAL
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Officials of the tourism ministry may no longer enjoy
foreign postings in the name of promoting Indian destinations.
The government is planning to do away with foreign
tourist offices, as they are seen as a burden on the
exchequer.
Two high-level committees have been set up by the
government to chalk out a national tourism strategy.
“These committees have been asked to examine
whether there is a need to continue with government-run
Overseas Indian Tourist Offices,” a source said.
The committees have also been asked to explore the
possibility of setting up virtual offices instead
of having a physical presence in an era of ICT. Of
the two committees, one is headed by the secretary
of tourism and the other by Planning Commission member
Anwarul Hoda. The recommendations of these panels
will form the strategy direction for tourism sector
growth in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (‘07-12).
Planning Commission’s view of closing down foreign
offices has been opposed by the tourism ministry.
It is necessary to have a pointsman in other countries
who helps in getting local media — both print
and electronic — to market India as a tourist
destination, the ministry feels.”
What private operators do is market their own travel
agency or tour operating business which fails to focus
on thousands of Indian destinations that are not covered
by them,” a ministry official said. Also, these
offices play a vital role in presenting India and
Indian tour operators at international tourism marts
and fairs held in different countries every year.
Economic planners, however, said that duplication
should be eliminated as the same work can be routed
through the Indian embassies abroad. Tourism offices
are located in expensive cities like New York, London
and Dubai, where the cost of running establishments
is very high.
The tourism ministry has pointed out that Asian countries
like Singapore and Malaysia have tourist offices all
over the world and if India wants 25-50m foreign tourists
every year the number offices needs to increase to
at least 25 from the present 13.
