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Promoting tourism in South Asia

Promoting tourism in South Asia

  • South Asia is highly dependent on travel and tourism, especially as a generator of jobs (estimated at 47.7 million in 2019)
  • COVID-19 is affecting nearly 47.7 million travel and tourism jobs across South Asia, many held by women and vulnerable communities working in the informal sector.
  • Losses of over US$50 billion in the gross domestic product in the region are expected in the travel and tourism sector alone as a result of the crisis.

Challenges for regional tourism:

  • Informal Tourism Sector
  • Disruption Caused by Covid-19
  • Geo-Political Tensions

Opportunities For the Regional Tourism:

  • Niche Tourism
  • Opportunity for India:Job,entrepreneurships,etc
  • High Tourism Potential
  • Job

Three Types of Regional Integration Activities Relevant to Intraregional COVID-19 Response and Competitiveness

Facilitating access

  • Removing visa restrictions.
  • Improving access infrastructure (roads, port, and rail and air, border crossings).
  • Aviation deregulation.
  • Easing border crossing formalities.

Improving quality

  • Attracting investment.
  • Service and quality standards.
  • Nature and wildlife conservation.
  • Codes of conduct.
  • Workforce development.
  • Labor mobility.

Communicating to consumers and policymakers

  • Branding, marketing and promotion.
  • Crisis management.
  • Statistics and research.
  • Advocacy.
  • Stakeholder coordination.
  • Increased awareness of destination communities

(Domestic Tourism Spending Percentage of Whole Economy GDP)

Way forward:

  • SME Survival
  • Crisis Communication
  • Jobs, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Destination Upgrades
  • Regional Collaboration

(Intra-regional Trips by Destination)

Conclusion:

  • Despite this crisis, South Asia has a strong competitive position in the global tourism industry.
  • The region’s enormous natural and cultural assets combined with strong pre-COVID domestic and intra-regional travel demand is indicative of future growth.
  • The opportunity now is to seize this moment of calm to envision and build a more productive, resilient tourism sector that effectively addresses poverty and gender gaps and is based on strong regional collaboration and dialogue.

Read Also Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan

 

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