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Homestays empower women in rural areas & has multiplier effect on employment: Economic Advisor, Ministry of Tourism, GoI

Oct 03, 2022

NEW DELHI, 03 October 2022: Mr Gyan Bhushan, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India on Saturday highlighted the potential of Medical Tourism and said that India has skilled doctors like US & Europe and English-speaking Nurses and staffs. "The patients and attendees are getting VISA at a frictionless process. It is one of the champion sectors as per the government of India," he added.

Addressing the session on 'Incredible India: Addressing The Global Need', organized by FICCI under the leadership of Ministry Of Tourism, Govt of India on the occasion of celebrating 75 years of Independence of India, Mr Bhushan also highlighted the prospects of Homestays and said that Homestays help in women empowerment in most of the rural areas and hinterland and has around 4 times multiplier jobs opportunities.

Mr G Kamala Vardhana Rao, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India & Managing Director, ITDC Ltd. said, "India's tourism industry is still on 5-6 per cent YoY growth. Turkey has done great in terms of number of tourists and has 20 million tourists in a year. We are still behind other countries in terms of digitization e.g., wireless networks in hotels. He further added that the Tourism Department, Govt of India has introduced various initiatives including training of 400 guides in 5 foreign languages in Delhi and 100 women taxi drivers. "Some states have started incentives for the foreign film productions in their state," he added.

Dr Jyotsna Suri, Past President, FICCI; Chairperson, FICCI Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Committee & CMD, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group said, "Travel and Tourism is economic generator and provides employment. Indian travel and tourism industry was expected to witness an annual growth rate of 6.9 per cent during 2019-2028 to reach USD 460 billion, approximately 9.9 per cent of India's GDP in 2028. In 2020, the Indian tourism sector accounted for 31.8 million jobs. By 2029, it is expected to account for about 53 million jobs."

Dr Suri further added, "Heal in India is going to become slogan of India. Today, almost 2 million patients visit India each year from the nearby countries, generating $4 billion in annual forex each year. But the future is looking much brighter. We must work upon building quality infrastructure like hotels and guesthouses near hospitals."

Mr Rajan Sehgal, Member- FICCI Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Committee, Co-Founder- PASSIONALS, President - Indian Golf Tourism Association & Member - MANAS under the aegis of Ministry of Minority Affairs, Govt. of India said, "Domestic travel has saved Indian travel and tourism industry in India. Destination weddings are also a key driver for inward tourism."

The conference comprised of sessions including Heal in India: Positioning India as the Global Centre of Healthcare & Wellness Services and The emerging importance of Homestays in Travel & Tourism Industry.

Over the years, India has become a premier and attractive destination for travellers from across the globe to attain best-in-class clinical treatment. The experts have deliberated on India's capabilities to offer world class preventive and curative health care solutions and popularize the indigenous medicine systems and wellness regimes practiced in India for physical, mental, and spiritual wellness.

The Homestays are playing a major role as a growth accelerator for Travel & Tourism Industry of India. A number of Industry leaders and Policymakers have deliberated upon the way forward on strengthening the present ecosystem of Home Stays of India to make it a major contributor to increase tourist footfalls across the country.

Mr Navneet Malhotra, Senior Vice President, Medanta; Dr Pradeep Dua, Joint Director (Scientist- D), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS); Ms Upasana Arora, Director, Yashoda Hospital; Dr Pratap Chauhan, Director, Jiva Ayurveda; Ms Renu Vij, Head International Sales, Fortis Healthcare; Mr Dalip Kumar Chopra, President, Foundation of Healthcare and Wellness Promotion, India; Dr Aishvarya Raj, Senior Director & Head - ZED Division, Quality Council of India; Mr Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager, Airbnb - India & Southeast Asia, Honk Kong & Taiwan; Mr Vaibhav Singh, Senior Vice President, Homestays, MakeMyTrip; Mr Amit Damani, Co-Founder, StayVista; Ms Mamta Dugal Sharma, Owner, Estate Villa; Mr Vinod Verma, Co-Founder & CEO, Homestays of India also shared their perspectives during the session.