PHDCCI Initiates Standing Committee On Tourism For 11 Northern States
Jyoti Koul /New Delhi

As a significant move to promote tourism in the northern region through joint efforts, the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) recently announced a standing committee on tourism for the northern states. The Committee as its immediate priority, has identified a four-point agenda, which commonly deals with tourism promotion and reduction of taxes. Further, the committee will evolve a common agenda and action plan.

Subsequently, PHD will act as a nodal agency to organise meetings of the committee once in every three months. However, the crux of the committee in which all 11 states of North India will participate is to remove state barriers and unite on a common platform to develop tourism of the region.

V N Dalmia, chairman, tourism and civil aviation committee, PHDCCI said, “A standing committee of tourism secretaries has been constituted for developing an integrated approach towards tourism development and promotion. Tourism professionals of various states based the move on the consensus. With PHDCCI being actively involved, we plan to identify problems of the states and then find proper implementable solutions to achieve significant growth.”

The current four point common agenda will address the following points:

• Enhance budget outlay to states for tourism promotion
• Reduction of the cost of hotel accommodation
• Reduction in the cost of tourist transport
• Reduction in the cost of domestic airfares

Delhi will host the meetings, where tourism secretaries will discuss state level issues and evolve an action plan. The first will commence in August at the PHD House.