Tourism is a powerful engine that drives most of how a country functions, be it in an economic, cultural, social or educational sense. It creates employment, it spearheads growth champions diverse cultural heritage, and overall, improves the quality of people’s lives. While those dreamy international trips seem far off, the lucrative world of domestic travel seems to have taken a new form and #travelocal seems to be the new jam.
In keeping with this spirit, the Ministry of Tourism launched the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ campaign shortly before the lockdown and continues to screen webinars to promote domestic tourism. Driving holidays, weekend getaways, day trips and local attractions are what will help support the local tourism economy.
There’s no doubt that earnings from tourism contribute majorly to a country’s economic status and a global pandemic can act as a slow death to this burgeoning sector. This is why states like Uttarakhand have lifted curbs on inter-district, inter-state and international travellers and allowed homestays and hotels, outside the containment zones, to open up for business. Meanwhile, Meghalaya has come out with a ‘Trip Now, Travel Later’ campaign which invokes nostalgia and fills travellers with hope. The core message of the video is to stay safe, in hopes of a better tomorrow and keep imagining when we can again travel, tell and transform.