The government should allocate funds for developing 'high-end' tourism to bring in wealthier visitors, as well as making India the leading country for hosting business events to revive the tourism sector, a report said.
The report 'Rebuilding Tourism For the Future 2022', prepared by Nangia Andersen LLP in association with Ficci, said post COVID, a new term 'Bleisure travel' was coined, which is the rise of professionals who are mixing businesses with leisure activities.
Young professionals who had the option of working from home have decided to find a place where they could work as well as enjoy nature.
Travellers and local tourists are embracing technology for a better experience, including making reservations and finding out what the best travel options are, according to Nangia Andersen LLP's head of government Public Sector advisory Suraj Nangia. He believes that artificial intelligence tools and metaverses will be widely used in the future to provide a virtual experience before actual travel begins.
It said that the attendance of government should be used to create more business events, increase the appeal of India's already strong offer and become the World's Meeting Place.
The Roadmap for Adventure Tourism should be developed by the government to promote sustainable development. It said that this niche could promote India as a 365 day destination.
After considering consumer behaviour following COVID 19, the government should launch certain festivals events that can be attractive to travellers, such as a renewed and increased desire for experiential travel.
In 2020, the travel and tourism industry's contribution to GDP was USD 121.9 billion and is expected to reach USD 512 billion by the year 2028.
In 2020, the Indian tourism sector accounted for 31.8 million jobs, which was 7.3 per cent of the total employment in the country. It is expected to account for about 53 million jobs by the year 2029.