FAITH urges govt to address negative travel advisory with US

The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) has urged the government to address the negative travel advisory for India issued by the US government.

The US currently issued a travel advisory, rating level 4 for India. On a scale of 1-4, this is the highest level of risk rating, carrying with it the advice of 'do not travel', FAITH said in a statement.

"FAITH Associations together are hopeful and look forward to this being taken up on a high priority on a government to government level quickly to prevent negative perception of India, as India kick-starts the revival of its highly stressed tourism industry reeling from the disastrous impact of Covid-19," the industry body said.

Apart from restrictive Covid-19 protocols, the rating highlights terrorism, crimes against women and insurgency among other reasons for the advisory, the statement said.

Some of the other countries that have been placed in this category as on Aug 23, 2020, include Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq and Yemen among others, it added.

The US is one of the most important long-haul source markets for India for most segments of travel. The travellers from the US also have one of the highest average stays in India of over 29 days as against the average of over 22 days for all source markets, FAITH said.

The favourable revision of the travel advisory would be a big boost in beginning the process of creating a positive sentiment for travel, which will slowly put in motion revival for the inbound tourism industry, FAITH said.