In a bid to further boost tourism sector, the Economic Survey has suggested improvements in e-tourist visa, lower goods and services tax (GST) for related services and promotion of medical tourism, am
In a bid to further boost tourism sector, the Economic Survey has suggested improvements in e-tourist visa, lower goods and services tax (GST) for related services and promotion of medical tourism, among others. “There is a need for improvement in the e-tourist visa (eTV) and ordinary visa which include extension of the eTV window to 180 days instead of the current 30 days before the tour, need for multiple entry eTV instead of the existing single-entry eTV,” the survey said.
Other than this, measures like extension of duration of stay to 60 days under eTV, instead of 30 days, extending eTV facility for medical tourists are also needed, it added.
The survey also suggested that “tax issues like the place of provision clause in service tax resulting in tourism services not being treated as export of service and being taxed and need for lower GST for tourism-related services as in many OECD countries” are required to be addressed to boost the sector.
According to the survey, initiatives like development of tourism infrastructure on PPP basis and by channelising corporate social responsibility (CSR) spends into India’s heritage development can also help in promoting the important sector, it further added.
The survey said there is a “need to promote medical tourism in the ‘Brand India Campaign’ instead of the current fragmented approach where individual hospitals have been promoting themselves as hospital destinations,” it said.
Other steps required to boost the sector are rapid immigration clearances for medical tourists, enhanced basic infrastructure for them at airports, streamlining the medical visa process and extending eTV to tourists, it added.
Initiative such as need for a national cruise strategy, making railways more tourist friendly with cleanliness and hygiene and considering global parameters while deciding coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms and organising India tourism fairs in Indian embassies abroad are needed to promote the sector in India.
