What earlier had been the lean season for the tourism industry in India is today marketed as a pretty good season for traveling by the Ministry Of Tourism. Recently, at "National Seminar on Monsoon Tourism'', Leena Nandan, joint secretary of the ministry of tourism, reported that the ministry is working with various states to develop promotional packages for monsoon season which will be announced soon. She told that foreign tourist influx in India has increased by 14.3 % within a year, so it's time to attract tourists during the lean season as well.
Prime packages offered at this time could be honeymoon packages, Ayurveda rejuvenation holidays, houseboat cruises and rain walks. Moreover, West Asia, Europe and the Unites States pose good markets for promoting monsoon tourism, she added. Ashwani Lohani, managing director of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC), said that the state's beauty can be cashed in during the monsoon season. He listed out few selling points like good roads, good signages, a 24x7 control room for distressed tourists and tax incentives to entice more and more tourists during monsoons.
M P Bezbaruah, earlier tourism secretary, said in his welcome address that the monsoon rains can be a major tourist attraction in India and imaginative packaging is the key to entice tourists. Following the idea of Bezbaruah, Subhash Goyal, chairman of Stic Travels Pvt Ltd, mentioned that Goa was the first Indian state to promote tourism during the monsoon season. He proclaimed that state's hotels have 100 per cent occupancy in monsoons. Goa's monsoon initiatives, together with successful monsoon promotions by Kerala emphasizing Ayurveda packages, confirmed that it is possible to mete out with the lean season too.
