Tourism industry to get infrastructure status soon

The government will soon grant infrastructure sector status for tourism sector and has approved 28 mega infrastructure projects to boost tourism in the country, tourism secretary Sujit Banerjee has said.
 
"Getting infrastructure status for the tourism industry is very near conclusion," Banerjee said while speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day `The Great Indian Travel Bazaar 2009' last night.

Infrastructure status to the tourism sector will enable hotels to get cheaper loans for new projects, he added.

The tourism ministry is also working on a proposal for "single window clearance" for setting up new hotel projects, he said.
 
Meanwhile, he said, tourist arrivals in the country that have gone down in recent months are expected to increase very soon.

He, however, declined to indicate a time-line for the industry to regain growth.
 
Arrivals of foreign tourists have gone down by 10-12 per cent since the Mumbai terror attacks, he pointed out, adding, that the government has chalked out a plan to promote the sector.

Raymond Bickson, chairman of WTTCII said that security for tourist and land reservation for hospitality industry are the two major issues which needs to be addressed at national level in order to woo the tourism sector.

The two-day event organised by FICCI and the ministry of tourism and the department of tourism of Rajastan is expected to attract 178 buyers from 41 countries.

Talking to reporters later, Banerjee said he was quite bullish about the long-term prospects for the industry, which will recover very soon from the current slowdown.

''I feel the recovery will happen in the next six months,'' he said, adding "It is election time so I cannot say the exact time frame but I can say it will be very soon."