The Indian government, in the last few years, has taken many initiatives to provide enough impetus to the tourism sector by launching a cleanliness drive, providing better air connectivity to several places, improving digital connectivity in and around tourism places, building infrastructure and improving overall hospitality sector, said a media report.
The Indian economy has become not only the world's 7th largest economy in terms of tourism but also the world's third-largest when it comes to health tourism, Saudi Gazette reported.
It further reported that the medical tourism sector has grown by more than 350 per cent since 2014 right before the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of the central government's continued attention in this regard. The revenue from this was Rs. 1.23 lakh crore in 2014 but it climbed to Rs. 2.10 lakh crore in 2019.
In early December 2021, Wolter Simon Milio, 69, from Chicago, USA, and John, 80, visited India on an 18-day tourist visa for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown of March 2020.
The travellers described tourist spots in India as safe and they praised India's COVID-19 vaccination programme as better than other countries in the world, Saudi Gazette reported.
Regarding traveling at this point in life, he said, "Age is no bar to tourism. As long as you are in good shape, you still have a chance to have an adventure."
During the COVID era, Wolter and John came to India as part of an initiative by the government of India to provide 5 lakh free visas to promote tourism and they liked the atmosphere so much that they are encouraging other tourists to visit India, Saudi Gazette reported.
Be it faith-spiritual-study tourism or health-wellness tourism, cultural tourism or heritage tourism or eco-tourism, youth tourism or tourism-related to business activities, India is becoming the "most attractive tourist destination in the world".
In November 2014, the government announced e-Visa for citizens of 44 countries in order to make it easier for foreign tourists to visit India. This facility now serves people of 165 countries, up from 44 in 2018. The e-Visa is now available at 25 airports and five seaports around the country, Saudi Gazette reported.
Today, the world is getting attracted to India's yoga, philosophy, spirituality, and culture. Today, India is one of the three major countries in the world when it comes to health tourism. The primary goal of health-wellness tourism is to treat sickness and promote wellness.
Ayurveda and traditional medicine are their most important pillars. The expansion of the entire ecosystem associated with Ayurveda is also boosting tourism-related health and wellbeing in the country, Saudi Gazette reported.
( With inputs from ANI )
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