Expectations galore: Can Indian govt. offer direct cash transfers?
The current challenge being faced by the tourism and hospitality industry is an unprecedented one. A few industry bodies have been requesting the government to doll out support in terms of direct cash transfers, which seems to be an illogical and unfeasible request.
As per a source, the Prime Minister Office (PMO) was taken aback to see the long set of demands put across by industry representatives before the announcement of the government’s stimulus package to support lockdown-battered economy. Moreover, there was a lack of clarity in terms of the sector’s contribution to the Indian economy and employment generation. Clearly, India’s tourism and hospitality industry remain fragmented.
The industry stakeholders can take inspiration from the National Association of Software and Services Companies NASSCOM – the premier trade body and chamber of commerce of the tech industry in India. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, referred to NASSCOM as a “revolution”, beyond its time-tested role as an association. NASSCOM’s role in transforming India’s $180 bn IT BPM sector is widely recognized.
An umbrella travel trade association has recently requested the government to create a corpus for bailing out the tourism and hospitality sector financially. However, there is no mention of equity that the sector can infuse in such an arrangement. So, this association wants the government to pour in money while it remains a muted spectator. Wake up and smell the coffee! Living in a fool’s paradise is not helping the industry in any way. The same people who had gone berserk when Prime Minister Modi used ‘Tourism’ in his 5Ts alliterative (the other being Talent, Tradition, Trade, and Technology) are today extremely critical of the Indian government. Such critics conveniently forget the initiatives of the government to support the sector like the ‘gamechanger’ e-visa initiative.
The role that Indian tourism and industry has played in branding Incredible India internationally is unmatched with Bollywood being the only one to have a similar impact. Indians who travel overseas are some of the top spenders. No surprise that every international tourism board works relentlessly to tap the Indian market. Indian hotels are widely respected for the hospitality and comfort they offer to guests. Homegrown brands like ‘Taj’ and ‘Oberoi’ are globally recognized and held in high esteem.
The stakeholders of the tourism and hospitality industry also need to understand that they can’t keep themselves aloof from the political, social and economic scenario in the country. When the unfortunate deadly Pulwama attack happened last year, a section of the industry was extremely vocal in their demand to boycott tourism to Kashmir. This was probably their way to show nationalistic zeal and solidarity with the fallen Indian soldiers. However, such people don’t express their anguish when the government in Turkey leaves no stone unturned in criticizing India or forming an unholy alliance with Pakistan. No Indian travel trade association has called out Turkey for their anti-India stand leave aside boycotting to promote the destination in India. Why this selective nationalism? If we want to be important, we have to behave like ones.
Coming back to what we can achieve in the current crisis. Industry status has been a long-pending demand. This is the time to lobby for such policy changes that can help the sector to flourish when the Covid-19 pandemic is over. Tourism is on the verge of a revival with many vaccinations in the pipeline. The solution for its woes is the confidence of travellers that they are safe from the virus. So, let’s hope that the vaccinations do succeed in fighting the deadly virus with no side effects. Let’s all stay positive.