PATA chief bats against skewed tourism growth

Mario Hardy, the Chief Executive Officer of the international travel body — the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) —  said that in order to develop tourism as a major industry, public sector and private players (agents) must work together towards securing a common vision.

He was speaking to Deccan Herald on Tuesday on the sidelines of the curtain raiser for the 38th edition of PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2015.  In Union Budget 2015, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced improving a few heritage sites with better infrastructural development and facilities there. These include landscaping restoration, better signage and interpretation centres, parking, access for the differently-abled, amenities for visitors, including security and toilets, and illumination.

Hardy said it is important for India to attract more tourist footfalls into the country. “Right now, the world over, there is disproportionate growth of tourism. Since some sites have become known internationally, all tourists tend to converge there, giving other significant (though lesser ‘hyped’) sites a miss. Governments (tourist offices) and operators must do their bit to include such sites in their itineraries,” he said, citing the example of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

“We are victims of our own success. By developing tourist spots uniformly throughout a circuit, tourists may be encouraged to spread out to newer sites,” Hardy added.

Though possessing tremendous tourism potential, India has been unable to tap the sector well. According to online knowledge platform, Knoema, tourism has been able to contribute a measly 6.8 per cent to the country’s GDP, and around six million tourists visited India last year.

“The private sector must help in attracting more investment and popularising the newer aspects and interests of a place that may generate more tourist traffic, and in turn, more revenues,” Hardy said. He added that new attractions in Karnataka, for instance, such as coffee tours and wine tours, can bring in a new breed of tourists.

Tourism may also be fostered through dedicated support to local craftsmen, souvenir and merchandise makers, which help retain native arts and also, provide employment, he added.

Advantage Karnataka

Karnataka is home to around 319 tourist destinations, attracting around 5.81 lakh foreign tourists last year. Around Rs 250 crore has been spent over the last two years towards tourism infrastructure.

“We are encouraging corporates to adopt tourist destinations in order to develop them. Around 46 places have been identified to be adopted, and 8-9 corporates have already come forward,” Karnataka Minister for Higher Education and Tourism R V Deshpande said.  He hoped that PTM would boost Karnataka’s tourism prospects further.