The state government has forwarded a list of 16 proposed sites in Rajasthan to the minister of road transport and highways (MoRTH), for installation of ropeways under the Parvatmala Pariyojana of the Union Government.
Sources in the public works department (PWD) claimed that deputy chief minister, Diya Kumari, had sent a letter along with the tentative list of proposed ropeways to the Union MoRTH minister Nitin Gadkari on February 14. The letter was sent following a meeting between Gadkari and Kumari on February 12.
“I would like to draw your attention towards the discussion held with your good self on February 12, 2024, wherein the development of the ropeways in the state to be funded under centrally sponsored schemes was also deliberated upon. A list of ropeways proposals has been compiled by the tourism department for your perusal and consideration,” the letter sent by Diya Kumari stated.
Besides being the deputy chief minister, Diya Kumari is also the PWD and tourism minister of the state.
The ropeways have been proposed in 12 districts of the state which includes two each in Rajsamand, Bundi, Jaipur, and Sawai Madhopur, and eight in Udaipur, Sikar, Jodhpur, Dausa, Baran, Banswara, Ajmer and Chitorgarh.
The airport will soon be widened enabling the bigger aircrafts to land thus increasing the footfall of the tourists and facilitating the locals as well. Besides, the airport now would meet the required regulatory standards of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and will further enhance the extra safety measures.
“These projects have been carefully listed to align with the objectives of enhancing connectivity primarily at frequently visited religious sites and for in principle approval, these projects may be examined at the level of MoRTH for execution purposes to promote tourism and enhancing connectivity in Rajasthan,” the letter further stated. Officials at the PWD said that following the letter from the deputy CM, chief secretary Sudhansh Pant has sent instructions to the department to prepare primary project reports (PPRs) of these projects by February 19 and submit them to the union MoRTH.
“Out of the 16 proposed ropeways, PPRs for two are already completed. We would complete the PPRs for the rest and submit them to the Union government within the deadline of February 19,” said a PWD official.
[ad_2]
Source link
As the nation eagerly anticipates the presentation of the Interim Budget 2024 in the Lok Sabha on February 1, all eyes are on the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman for new announcements and policy amendments. Among the sectors with high expectations is the Indian travel and tourism industry, which is advocating strongly for industry and infrastructure status, policy reforms, and taxation benefits to support infrastructure development.
The travel and tourism sector holds significant economic importance, contributing 5.8 per cent to India’s GDP in 2022 and aiming for a target of USD 1 trillion by 2047. In light of this, industry leaders have shared their wishlist for the budget with ETTravelWorld, highlighting key areas for transformation and growth.
Infrastructural focus
Madhavan Menon, Executive Chairman, Thomas Cook India, emphasised the need for infrastructural focus, including the establishment of new airports through private participation, rapid expansion in rail, road, and waterways, and development of high-growth areas like religious circuits and hidden gems such as Lakshadweep. Menon also called for tax reforms, including reduced income tax levels, LTA exemptions, and standardisation of TCS on foreign travel packages.
“As a key fundamental for the sector, setting up of new airports via private participation must become a priority – thus creating a viable hub & spoke model; also rapid expansion in rail, road and waterways (sea and river cruises). Additionally, infrastructure development for high growth areas like religious circuits and underleveraged hidden gems (Lakshadweep),” he said.
Simplifying visa requirements
Aloke Bajpai, Co-founder & Group CEO, ixigo, expressed optimism about the government’s increasing focus on boosting domestic and inbound travel, particularly from tier 2, 3, and 4 cities. Bajpai highlighted the importance of infrastructure development, technology integration, and last-mile connectivity in spiritual and cultural hubs across India. He also stressed the significance of reducing aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs to pre-pandemic levels to improve air travel accessibility.
” Simplifying visa requirements to encourage visa-free entry for tourists visiting India is another action point that can significantly enhance foreign tourist arrivals. Overall, we look forward to budgetary measures that foster growth, innovation, and sustainability within the travel and hospitality sector, ultimately strengthening India’s position as a premier travel destination,” he said.
Budget expectations: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting the interim budget on February 1. The tourism and hospitality sector has high hopes for helpful government policies to cater to the rising domestic tourism demand with quality infrastructure and services. For years, the hospitality industry has been advocating for infrastructure status, which would grant hotel projects access to affordable debt on par with other industries.
Vishal Suri, MD, SOTC Travel, advocated for a multi-pronged approach in the budget, including the consolidation of TCS rates on outbound tours, removal of deterrents to technology adoption, and expedited infrastructural development through schemes like Udan Yojana and Vande Bharat routes.GST input on holiday businesses
Nishant Pitti, CEO & Co-founder, EaseMyTrip, called for crucial reforms to strengthen and revitalise the tourism sector, including GST input on holiday businesses, strategic reduction in income tax, and streamlining of TCS structure. Pitti also emphasized the importance of infrastructure development, technology integration, and health safety measures across various travel sectors.
“We expect the Government to allow GST input on holiday businesses, a strategic reduction in income tax to catalyze growth in the country’s tourism industry, and the streamlining of the TCS structure to a more favourable 5 per cent slab. Additionally, we expect a comprehensive overhaul of tax exemption policies related to Leave Travel Allowance (LTA), urging the Government to consider an annual allowance and the inclusive coverage of the entire tour package cost under LTA, surpassing the limitation to only flight expenses,” he said.
Komal Seth, Founder & Director, LINKIN REPS, highlighted the need for tax reductions, infrastructure status, and simplified processes for hotel budgets and digital payments to revitalise the hospitality industry. “Addressing GST concerns, I advocate for revising the 18% tax on rooms priced at 7500 and above to attract more guests. Streamlining processes with a central single window clearance for hotel budgets and encouraging UPI-backed digital payments are also vital for growth,” she said.
Chirag Agrawal, Co-Founder of TravClan, emphasised incentives for investment in hospitality infrastructure and fast-tracking development projects to improve traveller experience. “Additionally, initiatives like Digiyatra are a welcome move by tourists and the industry. It is a global first. The government should continue to adopt & invest in technology that can improve the traveler experience,” he mentioned.
Exemption on customs for Non Schedule Operators
Kanika Tekriwal, Founder, JetSetGo, outlined expectations regarding customs issues, sale and leaseback transactions, and bringing aviation fuel under GST to improve operational efficiency in the aviation sector. “Also, we hope that the government will provide clarity on sale and lease back transactions in case of Gift City. Currently, there is no clarity on how custom duty will be applicable in such cases, and we hope that the government will exempt custom duty in case of sale and lease back transactions involving Gift City companies. Lastly, we hope that the government will bring aviation fuel under GST,” she recommended.
As an industry, the medical tourism sector anticipates supportive measures from the upcoming budget. The budget is anticipated to acknowledge and support this growing sector. Financial incentives, streamlined visa processes for medical tourists, and investments in healthcare infrastructure, promoting alternative healthcare services, addressing mental health, and fostering public-private partnerships are some of the key expectations.
Overall, industry leaders are optimistic about the potential of the Union Budget 2024 to address key concerns and foster growth, innovation, and sustainability within the travel and hospitality sector, thereby strengthening India’s position as a premier travel destination.
[ad_2]
Source link
The state government has mooted, and is moving ahead with, a proposal for developing a tourism township in either Vagamon or Munnar that will be facilitated by the UAE government.
It is unclear at this point if there will be direct involvement of the UAE government or whether the UAE government is only a facilitator for participation by private companies. There are worries that a tourism township in Idukki district’s environmentally fragile areas could lead to further ecological devastation. The Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports explicitly discourage such tourism and construction initiatives in the Western Ghats and adjoining areas.
The tourism township proposal was initiated by the state government on November 9, 2023, following which a communication was sent by the tourism department to the revenue department on December 13. According to a communiqué by the principal secretary (revenue) to the land revenue commissioner (accessed by TOI), the government directed the land revenue commissioner to find suitable land in Vagamon or Munnar for the project.
A high-level meeting was convened by the chief secretary on December 18, in which senior officials of tourism and revenue departments participated. “A meeting will be convened presided over by the chief secretary on December 18 in his committee room, to discuss developing tourism township in the hill stations in the state under the aegis of the UAE government,” the communiqué sent by principal secretary (revenue) said. “A report has to be furnished to the government, at the earliest, after examining whether suitable land is available in Vagamon or in Munnar, in Idukki, suitable for the tourism township project proposed by the UAE government,” the communique added.
The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh said that infrastructure is being developed as per the modern-day requirements for the convenience of the visitors. He also informed that there were about 9,000 hotels in Himachal and considering the influx of tourists, the operation of homestays is also being regulated, to attract more tourists in the state.
Since the matter is yet to be placed by the government in the public domain, the UAE govt’s exact role is unclear. “The proposal was made when the UAE ambassador met the chief minister. When the government gets a proposal for a major investment, why deny it? The government is looking forward to an eco-friendly project since these two places that have been shortlisted are ecologically fragile areas,” a senior government official told TOI on condition of anonymity. In case of direct involvement of the UAE government, the Centre’s decision will be decisive as a sovereign government acquiring property in India can be routed only through diplomatic channels. In case, the project is a private initiative, parallels will be drawn to Kochi SmartCity which was presented initially by the then UDF government as an information technology initiative that later turned out to become a UAE-based private company’s integrated township in Kakkanad.
Real estate development of this magnitude in the name of tourism envisaged in Munnar and Vagamon goes against the recommendations of Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (Gadgil Committee) and the Kasturirangan Report. The government had recently framed detailed guidelines for constituting a Munnar Hill Area Authority with an aim to ensure sustainable development with uniformity, take appropriate decisions on encroachments and to protect the environmental uniqueness of the Munnar area. With regard to Vagamon, even basic land records are unavailable — these include basic tax register (BTR) and field measurement book (FMB) that will have concrete information on land holdings and exact extent and location of government land and porambokes in Vagamon village.
[ad_2]
Source link
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) anticipates government action to facilitate aviation’s decarbonisation, as agreed upon during the Third Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) hosted by The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Dubai.
During the pivotal CAAF/3 conference, multiple critical agreements were forged, signifying a stride towards sustainable aviation. Among these agreements, a cornerstone was the establishment of a global framework aimed at promoting the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) across all geographies worldwide. The primary objective set forth was ambitious yet crucial: to ensure that aviation fuel by 2030 becomes five per cent less carbon-intensive compared to the fossil fuel currently employed within the industry.
CAAF/3 also acknowledged the differing capacities of various states to adopt and advance in the field of sustainable aviation. Recognising these discrepancies, the conference introduced measures such as capacity building initiatives, the proposition of a “Finvest Hub” and voluntary technology transfers. These measures were designed to facilitate and ensure the participation of all countries in a globally integrated SAF market.
Further, the conference emphasised the pressing need for a solution that would not only stimulate the global SAF market but also enable airlines to offset their decarbonization obligations against the environmental attributes of their SAF purchases. This necessitated the establishment of a robust accounting framework for SAF.
Expressing the urgency of the situation, Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, underscored the indispensable role of SAF in achieving the industry’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050. Walsh urged immediate and robust policy implementations by governments worldwide to facilitate the exponential growth of a global SAF market.
IATA noted that the demand for SAF within the aviation industry significantly exceeds the current availability. Despite limited access, airlines have demonstrated their commitment by purchasing all produced SAF in 2022, incurring an additional cost of approximately USD 500 million due to its premium pricing over traditional jet fuel. Airlines have also entered into forward purchase agreements totaling around USD 45 billion, reflecting a substantial commitment to future SAF procurement.
Demonstration flights like the one conducted today pave the way for future standardisation, qualification and adoption for 100 per cent SAF flying, as governments adopt broader strategies to support the production and scale up of SAF. The A380 demonstration flight underlines the performance and compatibility of SAF, making it a safe and reliable fuel source.
Walsh further stressed the necessity for governments to act promptly on the CAAF/3 declarations by implementing policies that foster innovation, stimulate production, promote competition, and attract financing. The objective is to address the burgeoning demand for SAF across the globe comprehensively.IATA’s call to action for governments involves policies that maximise SAF production globally. These policies would enable producers to leverage local feedstock availability, emphasize positive rather than punitive measures, favor renewable energies, and recognize the collective responsibility shared in achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
“The goal is maximising SAF production everywhere with positive, not punitive, policy measures. Airlines are ready with open arms to catch the resulting SAF production. While airlines are at the sharp end of decarbonisation, they cannot bear the burden alone,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist.
“CAAF/3 has again made it clear that aviation’s decarbonisation will require the wholehearted and united efforts of the entire value chain and governments as we all focus on net zero by 2050. To be perfectly clear, where government money leads, private money will follow. It is absolutely essential that governments play their part, and we will certainly play ours”, added Owens.
[ad_2]
Source link