Chiranjeevi assures Industry status to Tourism

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, Dec 18: The Executive Committee of Indian Association Tour Operators (IATO) met Union Tourism nMinister, Dr. K. Chiranjeevi, here today. In this meeting the tourism industry highlighted the problems and issues being faced by the industry.

Mr. Subhash Goyal, President, IATO said “If two things are achieved then tourism will go up by atleast 50 per cent, if not 100 per cent, which include Visa on Arrival and the second is to give export industry status to tourism industry”.

Mr. Goyal added that “Visa on Arrival to be issued for the tourists from all tourism friendly countries and wherever Visa on Arrival is not possible, E.visa should be issued for travel to India."

He also stated that Indian Tour Operators were being discriminated against the physical exporters as the Export Industry is exempted from Service Tax whereas the Tourism industry is not. "This is resulting in discrimination not only against the exporters by also against tour operators in neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal etc. who are not paying any taxes and the business for India is being routed through them."

Union Minister of Tourism agreed and announced “The Ministry will immediately conduct the study to compare the impact of excessive taxes on Tourism Industry viz-a-viz Export Industry and also comparative analysis on the tax structure on Indian Tourism Industry with the competing neighbouring countries will also be undertaken by the Ministry”.

Mr. Subhash Goyal on behalf of the IATO and also the entire tourism industry welcomed this initiative of the Tourism Minister and profusely thanked him for approving our proposal and for his quick response to the needs of the tourism industry.