Visit 15 local destinations before 2022 to boost domestic tourism: PM Modi

Executives call for lower taxes to make travel affordable

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for domestic tourism in his Independence Day speech on Thursday, urging citizens to visit at least 15 local destinations by 2022.

This, he said he hoped, would raise the profile of domestic tourist attractions and encourage more foreign visitors to India. Sector executives welcomed the move but said government needed to lower taxes to encourage more domestic travel.

The prime minister's call comes against the backdrop of slow growth in foreign tourist arrivals. Foreign tourist arrivals grew 1.9 per cent in the first four months of 2019 after subdued growth in 2018.