At the ICC Aviation and Tourism Conference, Dr. Subhash Goyal, Chairman of the ICC Tourism Committee, delivered a passionate address, calling for urgent reforms to revive and grow India’s tourism sector. His recommendations focused on creating more aviation capacity, liberalizing airspace, reducing taxation, and promoting Indian destinations more aggressively at the international level.
“We need to create more seats, especially on international routes where fares have skyrocketed,” Dr. Goyal said, citing the example of the India–New York airfare, which has surged from ₹70,000–₹80,000 to over ₹1.6 lakh. He criticized India’s reciprocal airspace policy, calling it counterproductive. “Restricting our airspace on a reciprocal basis is, in my view, foolish. Look at Dubai – it has no oil, yet it focused on tourism and opened its skies. Today, it is a global tourism hub. Abu Dhabi and Singapore followed the same path and flourished,” he added.
Highlighting India’s natural and cultural wealth, Dr. Goyal noted, “We have the majestic Himalayas, 43 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and 7,500 km of coastline—yet we receive only 11.5 million international tourists annually, while our smaller neighbors attract far greater numbers.”
On behalf of the ICC, he put forth key recommendations to boost inbound tourism:
State governments must actively market their airports to attract international airlines.
Tourism products in India have become overpriced compared to global standards—pricing needs recalibration.
The tourism sector is overtaxed, with levies far exceeding global norms. “Tourism tax should not exceed 5%,” he suggested.
International flights should be allowed to land directly in states with potential, rather than being concentrated only in metros.
Dr. Goyal made a strong case for immediate action: “This is a ‘now or never’ moment. With jobs shrinking in many sectors, tourism remains one of the few industries capable of generating massive employment quickly.”
His remarks struck a chord with industry stakeholders, many of whom echoed the need for policy shifts that support sustainable and inclusive tourism growth across India.
