The Ministry of Tourism has decided to shut down seven out of 14 of its overseas offices citing reasons like financial losses and administrative failure. The move might impact India’s position in the global tourism market.
The step was taken after an internal survey was done by Overseas Marketing Division in Delhi over a year ago, Ministry sources told The Indian Express.
The offices which are being shut down include Paris, Amsterdam, Toronto, Milan, Sydney, Johannesburg and Los Angeles, GoNews reported. According to government data, these are also countries from where India receives the most number of tourists every year, Canada and France being at the top.
Commenting on the issue, Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons told GoNews that the digital medium has grown to be a viable way to attract tourists, therefore it is only better to shut down these offices. “The plan is to reshape these 14 offices into eight regional hubs for greater efficiency… The offices in Toronto and Los Angeles are the first ones to be wound up,” Alphons told The Indian Express.
Every year up to Rs 4-5 crores are invested in these offices but there is rarely any profit reaped from them, the Go News report mentioned. The step was taken after an internal survey was done by Overseas Marketing Division.