President of Indian Association of Tour Operators, Pronab Sarkar, in a meeting organised by FICCI Monday, raised important pending issues with Nitin Gadkari, Minister of MSME and Minister for Highways and Transport, Government of India.
Expressing concerns of the industry, the major issue Sarkar took up was to increase speed limit for tourist vehicles from 80 to 100 KMPH and there should not be any discrimination between private and commercial vehicles on speed limit. Other important issue related to tourist transport was one nation one tax for the tourist transports.
Sarkar also requested to introduce ECLGS 3.0 for the tourism industry for MSME loan with an additional 20% fund on the existing loans so that there is some respite to the tour operators who are badly impacted due to pandemic and there is no signs of inbound tourism to start in near future.
Besides the above, Sarkar also took up issues of extending permits and fitness for the tourist vehicles till 30th September 2021; exempting penalties and fines being imposed by the state transport departments; creation of land bank for parking facilities at monuments, railway stations, markets and other places of tourist interests.
Also, a suggestion was made to the Hon’ble Minister to boost cruise tourism special inland waterways and river tourism by inducting more International and domestic cruise liners and development of infrastructure and investment by the stakeholders, which will not only generate inbound and domestic tourism movement but also local community on the banks of the river routes shall get employment opportunities in rural India.
