Mr A. Krishna Mohan,

Managing Director of Southern Travels.

Implementation of new technology in the Tourism Industry

Technology is one of the most significant catalysts in the growth of the travel and tourism industry. Over the years, the application of technology in the travel sector evolved exponentially. These days, robotic technology has also revolutionized the travel sector with robots now used for concierge-like roles such as greeting guests when they arrive or providing them with valuable information. Also, there has been the introduction of technologies like contactless payment, virtual reality, AI Chatbots, Internet of Things (IoT), recognition technology, augmented reality, etc.

Tourism @2030

Components of sustainable Tourism in the year 2030

Tourism has massive potential to contribute to India’s ambition to meet the targets set for sustainable goals by 2030. Tourism’s role in the country’s sustainable growth mostly encircles three sustainable development goals (SDGs) – 8, 12 and 14, which advocate sustainable economic growth, ensure sustainable production and consumption patterns, inclusivity, and the sustainable use of our oceans and marine resources, respectively. To successfully meet the targets there should be a clear implementation outline, adequate financing, investment in technology, better infrastructure, and qualified human resources.

Do People Prefer Urban Tourism or Cultural Heritage?

Usually, domestic tourists enjoy urban tourism more, but foreigners take more interest in exploring cultures and visiting heritage sites.

Solo trips as a major trend in 2030

These days around 50 per cent of hodophiles travel solo at least once a year and the trend is expected to amp up further by 2030 mostly because of women travellers and adventure seekers. Self-development and unique experiences being the key aspects of solo travel, travellers are increasingly preferring to travel alone mostly to seek relaxation, solitude, and in pursuit of better connectivity with nature.

What Would Travel and Tourism Look like in 2030?

The travel and tourism industry has grown exponentially in the past decade and by 2030 tourism will evolve further with the fast-paced use of technological advancements and changing customer

expectations. With technology providing ways to enhance customer experience, travellers in 2030 will be more empowered with more choices and control. Also, personalization will become more important and connectivity will become commoditized. Application of advanced technology like virtual reality and augmented reality will become seamless with offline channels.

Government contribution towards promoting Indian Tourism

The government has been introducing several reforms in its policies to promote the tourism industry, especially post the pandemic. The Tourism Ministry has been drafting policies to support new tourism products like the development and promotion of caravans and caravan camping parks. Last year the ministry announced that soon there will be an international-level infrastructure in Kargil of Ladakh to boost adventure tourism and winter sports. Further, to boost domestic tourism, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has introduced a scheme called All India Tourist Vehicles Authorization and Permit Rules, 2021. The Finance Minister in 2021, announced relief packages for tourism, which include financial support for travel and tourism stakeholders (TTS) and registered tourist guides, free tourist visas to 5 lakh tourists and approval to release service exports from India scheme (SEIS) scrips.