The Economic Survey has suggested further measures to boost the country's tourism sector such as improvements in the e-tourist visa, lower goods and services tax (GST) for related services and promotion of medical tourism, among others.
"There is a need for improvements 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 Economic Survey for 2015-16 tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.
Measures such as 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 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.
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 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.
The government has already undertaken various initiatives such as introduction of e-tourist visa facility for the citizens of 113 countries at 16 airports, the survey said.
Another initiative is the revision of visa fees on the principle of reciprocity which was uniform earlier for all countries at USD 60 and bank charges of USD 2, into four slabs of 0, USD 25, USD 48 and USD 60 from November 3, 2015, it added.
The government has also launched two schemes for thematic development of tourism. These are Swadesh Darshan for development of theme-based tourist circuits and the National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) for the development and beautification of pilgrimage sites, the Survey said.
"The services sector is like an uncharted sea with plenty of opportunities that have not been fully tapped. A targeted policy of removing bottlenecks in major and potential services can result in large dividend," the survey added.
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