NEW DELHI, May 12: The Hotel Association of India (HAI) on Tuesday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to the citizens to postpone unnecessary foreign travel, saying the sentiment will help boost domestic tourism, thus building foreign exchange reserves.
KB Kachru, President, HAI said in the current volatile geopolitical environment, a stronger domestic tourism will contribute towards conserving foreign exchange while building a more resilient and self-reliant travel ecosystem.
“At the same time, there is also the need for the government to encourage and support inbound travel, which will in turn help build foreign exchange reserves for the country,” he stated.
According to Kachru, increased domestic travel is expected to boost demand for hotels, resorts, local destinations, and regional tourism experiences across the country.
It can further strengthen employment generation by supporting small tourism businesses, and accelerate growth in tier II and tier III destinations.
“India’s domestic travel market has emerged as one of the strongest demand engines globally, driving hospitality growth, employment generation and infrastructure utilisation across metros as well as Tier 2 and Tier 3 destinations,” the HAI President said. (PTI)
