Tourism department upset due to ban on international flights, more than one million jobs in danger
Highlight
- DGCA has extended the ban on international flights.
- The tourism department has expressed disappointment over this decision.
- Subhash Goyal, President, STIC Travel Group spoke to India TV.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday extended the ban on international flights, with the tourism department expressing disappointment over the decision. Speaking to India TV, Subhash Goyal, President of STIC Travel Group and Confederation of Tourism Professionals, said that this decision of the Ministry of Civil Aviation could be ‘fatal’ for the Department of Tourism and Travel, as around 10 people working in this industry. There could be a million more people. You have to lose your job.
“Travel and hospitality contribute about 10% to the total tax collection of the government”, he said. Talking about 2019, Goyal said that the travel and hospitality industry alone generated $30 billion from foreign travelers.
In 2019, about 2.5 crore Indians went abroad. At the same time, 11 million foreigners came to India. In this way, in the last two years, there has been a loss of about 60 to 65 billion dollars due to the closure of international flights.
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He said that due to the COVID-induced lockdown in the last two years, 2.5 million people working in this industry have lost their jobs.
“The jobs of one million more people are in danger due to non-start of international flights. When restaurants, cinema halls, metro, malls etc. have opened, what is the problem in opening regular international flights? Government should take up this serious issue soon. To be decided soon.”
Many countries are now open to international travelers
With Covid cases declining significantly, many countries have opened up tourism to foreign travellers. These include countries like America, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Bali and Malaysia.
Financial loss to India
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, during the financial year 2020-21, Indian airlines and airports have suffered a loss of about 20 thousand crores due to the Kovid-19 epidemic. At the same time, the companies operating the airports have also suffered a loss of more than Rs. 5,000 crores.
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