Question : Employment through Tourism Industry

(a) whether India''s rich cultural/historical/religious and natural heritage provides a huge potential for development of tourism and job creation in tourism sector;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has an adequate mechanism to measure total direct and indirect employment generated by the tourism sector in the country;
(d) if so, the details thereof along with the employment generated directly and indirectly from tourism sector and the per-capita income generated therefrom, State-wise;
(e) whether the Government has any proposal to designate tourism sector as an industry and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(f) the names of the top ten countries who have achieved progress in developing tourism as an industry?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)
(DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) to (d): Yes, Madam. India with its vast bounties of nature, great treasures of art, architecture and philosophical thought, rich cultural heritage, varied rural countryside and wildlife, age - old practices of Yoga, Siddha, etc. has an immense potential for development of tourism and inherent job creation.

The total direct and indirect employment generated by the tourism sector in the country is measured through Tourism Satellite Account of India (TSAI). The TSAI is prepared once in 5 years on the basis of data of International Passenger Survey, Domestic Tourism Survey and National Accounts Statistics.

As per the 2nd (TSAI) - 2009-10 and subsequent estimation, the total direct and indirect employment through tourism during 2012-13 were 28.8 and 38.2 million, respectively. This information is not available State – wise.

The Ministry of Tourism does not compile per capita income of persons employed in the tourism sector.

(e): Granting industry status to the tourism sector is primarily done by the State Governments/UT Administrations. However, Government of India supplements the efforts of the State Governments/UT Administrations in encouraging the tourism sector by providing various incentives to tourism and hospitality establishments like tax holidays for new hotels and convention centres, facilitating foreign direct investment (FDI) and credit availability for hotels & tourism related industries, etc.

(f): The Ministry of Tourism does not compile Status of Industry granted to tourism by other countries.

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