TOURISM POLICY AND STATE CENTRE COORDINATION

This Convention welcomes the announcement made at the inaugural session by the Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, Shri Anantha Kumar, that within a month the Union Government will announce a New Tourism Policy. This has been a demand of IATO for many years now and this convention hopes that the new policy will take care of the focal challenges and opportunities outlined in the six business sessions of this three-day convention. It also welcomes Information and Broadcasting Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley’s assurance that tourism will have a major role to play in the 8 to 10% growth of national economy scenario. Heartened by the Tourism and Culture Minister’s perception, responding to the convention theme "Indian Tourism : Still Awaiting a Breakthrough" declaring that "Breakthrough is here", IATO offers all help and support in making the breakthrough a reality and a continuous process in the interest of the future of tourism and Indian economy.

The delegates at this convention, stress that India’s image transformation is the need of the hour. They also recognise that change, challenges and competition for sustainable tourism can be tackled by united and coordinated efforts by all segments of tourism. They take note that the New Millennium is an era of partnerships and alliances but they must be understood in the Indian context and serve the interest of tourism and Indian economy and growth. The delegates recognise the new infotech age and resolve that tourism and tour operators must use the new information technology as a tool of tourism turning it into an instrument of opportunity from instrument of threat.

As the important discussion themes of this convention underlined the tour operators are a threatened species but the convention also believes that through concerted and coordinated efforts of IATO and other segments of tourism in the country, the tour operators would be able to carve a new role and future for themselves and the big players will ultimately have to come to them.

The initiative by the Tourism and Culture Minister, Shri Anantha Kumar at the inaugural of this convention in announcing the holding of Tourism Summits with the State Chief Ministers and Tourism Ministers, beginning with the State of Rajasthan, is heartily welcomed by this convention as a much needed step towards coordination between the Centre and the States. The convention sincerely hopes that the initiative of Shri Anantha Kumar will be taken up by the state governments too and similar summits will also be held with apex agencies like IATO at the national level and with regional chapters of IATO at the states levels.

AVIATION POLICY

This convention ardently hopes that the Union Civil Aviation Ministry will also follow the initiative of the union Tourism and Culture Ministry in working out a rational, reasonable, viable and development oriented Civil Aviation Policy which has been the consistent demand of both the tourism sector as well as the overall Indian economy. The convention urges that the matter should be taken up at the highest level of policy-making in the country to ensure that India does not suffer a set back in the competition for world tourists with the emerging tourism attracting nations like China, Singapore and Thailand. The immediate seat capacity of around eleven million has to be achieved if any breakthrough is to be made. IATO should be involved in all decisions making processes by the Government.

TOURISM INSTITUTIONS

This convention takes note of the lack of requisite infrastructure to support positive initiatives in the growth of Indian tourism at all levels. Taking note of the many valuable suggestions made during the convention business sessions, this convention urges the union and the state governments to follow the lead given by the State of Kerala and have credible tourism budgets with a bottomline of at least Rs. 60 Crores for the states.

The convention further urges the setting up of a National Crisis Management Agency backed by a National Crisis Fund to meet unforeseen emergencies like Kargil and Orissa, which do effect India’s image and tourism.

Among the most important tourism institutions needed to be revived and re-established with strength and teeth is the National Tourism Board with adequate representation on it from IATO.

The convention takes note of the initiatives of the Kerala, Rajasthan and Gujarat governments in particular in setting new frameworks of cooperation between the government and the private sector and people’s involvement in tourism. It urges

other state governments to take up their example. IATO would always be ready to assist them in any new initiatives as a willing partner.

The convention appreciates efforts by the Delhi, Kerala, Rajasthan and Gujarat governments in taking a look at old legal frameworks and evolve and introduce new Tourism laws. IATO would be too glad to provide inputs in this important task.

TAX BURDENS AND INDUSTRY STATUS

This convention takes note of the sustained struggle of IATO against repressive levies and taxes like the Service Tax, Luxury Tax, irrational transport taxes, excise and the TDS regime. The IATO reasserts its resolve to educate the Indian public and impress upon the authorities concerned abut the urgent need for uniformity and rationalisation of taxes, rationalisation of hotel tariffs, free inter-state movement of tourist transport, industry status for tourism priority and facilities at par with the infotech industry. Minimum one year notice should be given for any imposition of taxes or hike in fees. It should also have prior approval of Ministry of Tourism (MOT). The convention feels that along with the cyber cities, tourism cities should also be developed giving the same facilities, encouragement and priority and as the Tourism Minister suggested another "T" should be added to "IT". He meant it should be a combination of Information Technology and Tourism.. (ITT).

The IATO has already made a lead in this direction by setting up its own website. It recommends its members to use this technology as their servant to reduce tax and cost burdens too.

TOURISM AND CIVIL AVIATION MINISTRY MERGER AND CONCURRENT LIST

This convention suggests that in order to attain the national goal of attracting more and more tourists, both domestic and foreign, the government should consider merging the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministries into a single ministry to ensure total coordination between the two at one stroke. Many of the inter-ministerial problems and problems between the ministry and the industry could easily disappear then. Tourism must be put on the concurrent list to give greater beverage and playfield to the ministry.

CHALLENGES OF CHANGE, COMPITITION AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM.

The convention resolves that every state tourism ministry must have an environment officer and a Monuments Preservation Fund should be instituted. Steps should be taken for physical removal of garbage from tourist destinations. There should be a Hoardings Policy like the one in Singapore and Hong Kong laying down the size, colour and designs of hoardings at tourist sites. In tribal and wildlife areas there should be good interpretation centres and interaction between tourism and NGOs in the environmental field should be ensured to enlight the people about their rights and duties and attitudinal rights and wrongs while enjoying and promoting tourism Tourism police, which had been a tremendous success in eliminating touts in Rajasthan should also be used to prevent disfiguration of monuments by those suffering from "Bobby loves Chinky" complex, scratching their names on historical structures.

WTO FRAMEWORK AND COMPETITION LAW BOARD

This convention takes note of the two important legal institutions in the anvil and urges all IATO members to keep themselves abreast of developments in the enforcement of the WTO framework in service industries in India and the impending replacement of the monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) by a new Competition Law Board. Following important discussions on partnerships, alliances, merger and competition, the members of this convention have come to the conclusion that new mergers, alliances and partnerships are inevitable but care has to be taken that they are not fragile alliances that always fail. Stable alliances could be based on merger of strengths and like-mindendess in strategy for using the globe as a market with the consumer and customer, two distinct entities, using the whole world as their shopping place. the awareness of the new important institutions which would certainly influence the legal facets and practices of alliances and partnerships was essential.

NEW DESTINATIONS

The convention took special note of a suggestion made by former Union Minister Shri Salman Khurshid for tapping new destinations like the mango Capital of India, Mallihabad and the historic university cities like Aligarh, on the line of the strawberry picking sites in the West and the university town tourist destinations like Oxford. In this connection it was resolved that infrastructure had to be improved and upgraded, not only for showcasing it to foreign tourists but also to give clean comfort, pride and pleasure to the domestic tourist. the need for cleaning of rivers, building of roads and making pilgrim centres of India like Allahabad and Varanasi pollution free to bring them at par with the European pilgrim centres like Vatican was also endorsed by the convention. The importance of developing suborn coastal tourism was also stressed and the efforts of developing civil ports in Cochin and Mumbai were noted.It was felt by the convention that the example set by the Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan tourism departments in using natural and historical and lifescape heritage as tourist attractions and using the private sector and people’s cooperation as methodology were examples of opening up new tourist destinations which other states should follow. IATO appreciated, endorsed and supported such initiatives.

IMAGE ENGINEERING

Taking note of the important perceptions and analyses put forward during the discussion on Image, perception and the realities of Indian Tourism, the convention resolution endorsed the view that strong political will, efficient and concerned administration and participation will, efficient and concerned administration and participating of the people were essential ingredients of a healthy and credible image for the country. Good roads, hotels, taxies and other amenities were needed as much for the people of India, as for the foreign tourists. In the states where important breakthroughs have been made it was a combination of all these success factors which worked.This convention endorses the consensus that a clean and healthy infracture is the very backbone of an Indian image for which all the success factors mentioned in the discussions must be ensured. IATO shall strive to strengthen all efforts at image engineering.

ENDANGERED SPECIES

IATO is extremely conscious of the fact that the Tour Operator and Travel Agent appear to be a threatened and endangered species at this point of time. But there was no room for despondency. IATO, in cooperation and coordination which all tourist friendly elements in the governments, the industry segments and general public, will keep up a united fight for Indian Tourism in the firm faith that tourism is a dire need of the country. If tourism, the biggest employment generator and foreign exchange earner, thrives, India prospers. If tourism perishes, India would have a serious set-back. Save tourism, Save India, is the message of this convention.

INFRASTRUCTURE

IATO resolves that infrastructure is the key to development, therefore, every state of India must have an International Airport so that the multiplier effect of Tourism can spread to every corner of India. In order to achieve this IATO supports the Government efforts in privatising Air India, Indian Airlines and International Airports. But IATO also wants that majority shares should also be in Indian Hands

SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS

The convention undertakes to fulfill social obligations as cooperate citizens. Tour operators have a good record in this count. Organisation of blood camps and raising of funds for families of Kargil Heroes featured our programme. IATO also promptly responded to the Minister’s suggestion for relief of cyclone victims in Orissa. We have adopted a village as suggested by the Minister and we will not hesitate to make any sacrifice when the national cause is concerned.