FAITH (Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality) has expressed disappointment over the lack of immediate direct support in the Union Budget FY 21-22. “Lack of immediate direct support in the budget has disappointed the Indian travel and tourism industry”, stated Nakul Anand, chairman-FAITH.
FAITH is the National Federation of the ten national tourism, travel, and hospitality organisations of India. These associations are ADTOI, ATOAI, FHRAI, HAI, IATO, ICPB, IHHA, ITTA, TAAI, and TAFI.
The budget laid out proposals for improving rail, road, ports, metro lite infrastructure, and PPP in buses, airports, and ports including vista coaches in tourist routes. These measures may boost tourism over the long term but only once they are implemented.
However, the tourism, travel, and hospitality industry was looking at immediate support and short-term measures for the revival, stated FAITH.
As per FAITH, the budget does not address several critical measures proposed for tourism revival.
For instance, FAITH had proposed the creation of a National Tourism Council of Chief Ministers headed by the PM along with the tourism minister, for the revival plan.
Besides, “to ensure that the export potential of Indian tourism would have been realised post-Covid, the tourism industry should have been fully recognised at par with merchandise exports, export earnings from tourism should have been made tax free and also the incidence of taxes in tourism earnings should have been zero-rated,” reads an official release by FAITH.
There was also a need for a corpus of at least ₹ 2,500 crores for the global branding budget to enable sub-branding of three tourism segments, Indian MICE, Indian adventure, Indian Heritage under the Incredible India main brand to enhance each of these verticals’ global outreach, elaborated FAITH.
“Not addressing any of the critical measures in the budget announcement has thrown the industry into a state of shock and deep dismay”, said FAITH.
