Dharamshala Declaration and its Importance

Dharamshala Declaration is in news recently. This is basically for promoting the tourism sector. This topic is very important for upcoming exams like UPSC, SSC, Banking, and others. Aspirants need to go through this topic and related issues concerning the tourism section.

Dharamshala Declaration :

• To mark World Tourism Day (27 September), the Dharamshala Declaration recognizes India’s role in contributing to global tourism and aims to focus on recovery by boosting domestic tourism. 
  
• In a statement, the Ministry of Tourism said that while achieving the goal of understand “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” (interaction and reciprocity), more Indians would travel to the hinterland and experience the nature, culture, and spirit of India.
  
• The Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat program was created to celebrate India’s cultural vibrancy while providing a powerful mechanism to instil nationalism and cultural awareness in its people. 
  
• In parallel, the ministry also worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to identify 20 Indian missions abroad with the highest tourist flows to India and to develop country-specific strategies for attracting foreign tourists. 
  

Tourism Sector :

• Tourism is one of the sectors hit hard by COVID-19. The Government of India’s Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) was recently increased to Rs.5 lakh crore.
  
• The pandemic has also given us time to reset and rethink our tourism path in India. After extensive consultation, the Ministry of Tourism announced the National Tourism Policy 2022, which aims to improve the country’s tourism development framework, support the tourism industry, strengthen tourism support functions, and develop the tourism sub-sector.
  
• Guiding principles include promoting sustainable, responsible, and inclusive tourism in line with our civilized spirit.
  
• From Gautama to Gandhi, India has always spoken of the need to live in harmony with nature and within our means. The National Green Tourism Mission wants to institutionalize this approach.
  
• The national tourism policy also aims to give impetus to digitization, innovation, and technology through the National Digital Tourism Mission, and to qualify through the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skills Mission. 
  
• The policy also gives particular impetus to private sector engagement through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
  
• Various other programs to develop PPP modes such as the National Investment Pipeline (NIP) and the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP) also complement the tourism sector. 

Key Features of the 2022 National Tourism Policy Draft:

• To encourage investment in the tourism sector, it is proposed to formally grant infrastructure status to hotels, as well as an industrial status to the sector.
  
• We have identified five key areas to focus on over the next decade. Green Tourism, Digital Tourism, Destination Management, Hospitality Skills, and Support for MSMEs related to Tourism.
  
• Relief and Tax Cuts for Touch-Sensitive Industries most hit by the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Past Two Years. Other framework conditions are helping the industry, especially in the wake of the pandemic. Our overall mission and vision are to enhance the experience of domestic and international tourists.
  

 G20 Presidency: An Opportunity

• The country has an opportunity to establish itself as a major tourist destination during India’s G20 Presidency (2023).
  
• India welcomes representatives from 20 countries/European Union, including officials from Central Banks and the Ministry of Finance, ranging from anti-corruption and agriculture, health, culture, tourism, foreign ministers, and other ministerial meetings. 
  
• While the final list of cities has been finalized based on a set of transparent criteria such as conference infrastructure, accommodation availability, ranking in Swachh Bharat, and other parameters, the potential of Nearly 35 cities has already been identified. 
  
• During this period, the plan is to ensure sufficient rigor and dedication to showcase the country’s cultural richness while welcoming the world to India.
  
• The Ministry of Tourism will also work with other ministries to introduce necessary measures such as visa reform, travel facilitation, and improved immigration facilities for travel at airports. 
  

Way forward:

• In recent months, key tourism indicators such as domestic air passengers, hotel occupancy and tourist arrivals have all shown signs of recovery, returning to pre-pandemic levels. 
  
• By mid-2024, India will have a tourism contribution of $150 billion to GDP and a foreign exchange income of $30 billion with 15 million foreign tourist arrivals, reaching pre-pandemic levels. 
  
• India is estimated to grow at an average compound annual growth rate of 7% to 9% until 2030, and relevant policy frameworks will see tourism contribute to GDP reaching US$250 billion, with the tourism sector contributing US$140 million.10,000 jobs are expected to be created.
  
• The old Indian adage ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, welcomes tourists from all over the world under the New Age tourism policy.