SubscriberWrites: Corrective action plan to promote Indian tourism trade

A thick layer of fog covers the Taj Mahal as the temperature dips, in Agra. | ANI

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To gain customer confidence

1. Promote Ethical Tourism: Personal health care programmes (open satellite clinics at tourist spots).
2. To obtain “Health certificate from designated hospitals for all employed at all big and small establishment at the tourism sites. 
3. Respective State Tourism Departments to coordinate with tourism site local administrative authorities like Panchayats for better site administration.
4. Create awareness about the environmental impact of tourism business among the inhabitants of the tourist spots, both residents and business people.
5. Organize a public awareness campaign to promote the use of environmentally friendly waste disposal systems.
6. Collaborate with Corporate companies to promote their product image by providing employment to local communities by involving them in a dignified manner in waste management program with proper waste collection equipment’s, bright uniform displaying their logo and provide PPE.
7. Register auto and taxi drivers as ambassadors of friendship through a special induction programme and paint the vehicles in a visibly attractive manner.
8.  Identify and decongest the tourist sites.
9. To conduct water/energy-saving and environmental audits at all tourist establishments. “A Responsible Tourism Initiative”.

Long-term Plan:

1. To develop new destinations.
2. Develop programmes on travel for education and cultural products.
3. Create a tourism trade certificate course separate from the hotel and hospitality curriculum.
4. Foreign language courses should be included in the Tourism trade certification curriculum.
5. Tourism course graduates to conduct as a project in-person interviews of foreign tourists to understand their experience.

Marketing Tourism

1. Promote an Ethical tourism image.
2. To update the total bed capacity of hotels, resorts, home stays, etc. to work on FTA and domestic targets
3. Post-pandemic, the country needs to adopt conventional marketing policies by collaborating with major Travel agencies in foreign countries offering them profitable tour products for different segments.
4. Create products that reflect the tastes of the respective countries.
5. Draw a tourism business plan for foreign and domestic tourists.
6. Assist tour operators in identifying a prospective market.
7. Provide marketing tools to foreign travel agencies target countries.
8. International travel trade shows and road shows with a business agenda.
9. Promote India through the international sports events like Cricket tournaments having international exposer like World Cup, IPL and other international sports televised worldwide on Indian TV channels, instead of putting advertisements on consumer products like Pan Masala etc.

Travel Trade Partner’s Action.

1. Work on projecting India with a catchy slogan and showcase all we have to offer covering all areas of tourist interest, instead of each State projecting stand alone. 
2. Airline and the Hospitality industry to diversify to inbound travel trade, as they are major contributors to travel costs.
3. Establish new tour operators by inviting real estate operators to engage in the inbound tourism business, which necessitates low capital investment and has a brief gestation period.
4. Inbound tour operators are required to submit an annual FTA and domestic business plan.
5. Tour operators to declare the country they propose to work with.
6. Identify wholesalers, both domestic and foreign, and work on their business plan.
7. Hotels, resorts, and homestays should invest in housekeeping products and systems to make living absolutely hygienic.

The Market: 

1. Publicise travel products through audio – visuals to social clubs and associations. Universities and colleges through associate foreign travel agencies  
2. Tap the prospective NRI market.
3. Explore seaside resorts for Senior Citizens from Europe who visit India for long duration during their winter’s
4. Promote Travel for education. 
5. Adventure & Wildlife.

S.W.H. Zaidi

(M) 9341968965

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