Budget 2020: Rs 2,500 cr not enough for tourism promotion, says industry

Tourism bodies say Indians spending Rs 9,000 cr abroad abroad due to poor domestic infra, which cannot be improved with this allocation

Hotel Association of India (HAI) has rued that allocation of Rs 2,500 crore on tourism promotion in 2020-21 Budget is not sufficient given the sector's immense potential and the substantive growth recorded in foreign exchange earnings in tourism sector.

Foreign exchange earnings in tourism sector has grown from Rs 1.75 trillion to Rs 1.88 trillion between January and November 2019. Factoring in the encouraging FDI inflows and outbound Indian tourist splurge on foreign travel, tourism promotion deserved a higher allocation, the industry body felt.

“We had already brought to the notice of the Union finance ministry that Rs 9,000 crore is being