Tag Archives: Commerce

PHDCCI’s Film Tourism Conclave unveils report urging policy reforms to boost the sector in India

PHDCCI held its 6th Global Film Tourism Conclave on, Transforming Location into Vacation at Novotel, Juhu, Mumbai on March 1, 2024.

The event featured addresses by esteemed dignitaries including the Guest of Honour, Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Representatives of the Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Boards of various states.

Furthermore, the renowned filmmaker duo Abbas Mustan, famous scriptwriter and filmmaker Rumy Jafry, singer Hariharan, Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Grammy winner Flutist Rakesh Chaurasiya were honoured for their significant contributions to the Indian film industry during the session.

Guest of Honour, Dr. Sahasrabuddhe said, “I am delighted to attend an event that focuses on film tourism. The film tourism sector is emerging and gaining recognition, and it’s encouraging to see several states and union territories participating in it with great enthusiasm, leading it towards success. Today’s film production is not just dependent on technology but also requires a well-developed infrastructure, skilled talent, and manpower. It’s a matter of pride for all of us that our film industry is a global name, and at this opportune moment, this discussion on elevating film tourism is highly significant.”

“The entertainment colossus of India is a major contributor to the Indian film industry in terms of number of films produced and released. Apart from the commercial feat as the biggest trade and commerce centre in the country, Mumbai is also home to the Bollywood film industry. Over 70% of Indian motion pictures, television serials and commercials are produced in Mumbai itself. India needs to step up its efforts to attract foreign film producers to come and shoot in India. India has a great opportunity to promote inbound tourism beyond popular destinations,” said Mahesh Singhi, Chair – Maharashtra Chapter, PHDCCI, Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Anil Parashar, Chair – Tourism & Hospitality Committee, PHDCCI, said, “There has been a significant increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting India in the year 2023 with 7.24 million footfalls till October 2023 as compared to 6.44 million for the corresponding period in 2022. Currently, India is gaining momentum as a film- shooting destination, providing unexplored and mystic locations as well as generating employment and cultural exchange with local communities. PHDCCI is committed to creating such meaningful platforms to enable the tourism industry to grow and flourish further.”

Speaking at the conclave, Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, Executive Director, PHDCCI, said, “Film tourism is not a new concept, we at PHDCCI see a great opportunity in the sector for employment generation. India is full of great, undiscovered destinations, and the largest road network in the world today. With all this development, we want to invite people from around the world to make films at Indian
destinations. This will attract great tourism.”

“We applaud the single window clearance scheme and would urge the Government of India to extend the scheme to include permission from various authorities such as the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation, State and local Municipal bodies, Police and traffic departments. Moreover, tax incentives and financial benefits such as tax credits, exemptions or subsidies should be extended to private developers investing in infra related to Film tourism such as Film City, film institutes, Film Studios, etc,” stated Dr. Mehta.

Among several thought-provoking sessions with industry experts on measures required to elevate the Indian film tourism sector, the highlight of the conclave was the unveiling of the PHDCCI-KPMG report, titled, ‘Transforming Location into Vacation – A Report on Film Tourism’ which emphasised the need for India to leverage its rich cinematic heritage to position itself as a leading film tourism destination, leading to economic growth and cultural preservation. It highlighted that states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and several others have introduced several policy reforms such as single window clearances and incentives for filmmakers.
As per the report, the global film tourism market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2 per cent in the coming years. India, one of the largest film producers in the world, rolls out more than 1,500 movies yearly. The Media and Entertainment industry in India is expected to reach INR 8 lakh crore by 2030. Last year, the Indian gross box office collection (GBOC) exceeded INR12,000 crore.

The compelling report recommended several significant steps like tax incentives and financial benefits, government support to develop a national-level policy and guidelines for the film tourism sector; allocating dedicated funds to support film tourism initiatives; establishing a supervisory committee to ensure effective implementation of policies and dispute resolution; implementing a clear process for registering agencies managing film festivals and tourism-related events; encouraging public-private partnerships for infrastructure development in tier-2 and tier-3 cities; simplifying licensing requirements for production houses and streamlining the clearance process and promoting investment in modern film technologies and virtual reality experiences, among others to help make India the film tourism destination of the world.

The event garnered attendance from members of the film fraternity, policymakers, film boards from various states, and delegates, contributing to its success.

Doha becomes Akasa Air’s first international destination with 4 weekly flights starting March 28

Akasa Air is set to begin its first international service with four non-stop flights a week starting March 28, connecting Mumbai with Doha, Qatar. Bookings for flights are now open on Akasa Air’s website www.akasaair.com, Android and iOS app and through multiple leading OTAs, with return fares starting at INR 29,012.

With this, Akasa Air becomes the first Indian airline to fly overseas in a record period of 19 months since its inception. The launch of operations to Qatar marks the airline’s next phase of growth aimed at taking the warm and efficient Akasa experience to the world at affordable fares.

Commenting on the announcement, Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air, said, “We are delighted to announce our international operations with the launch of our first destination – Doha, to our growing network. The introduction of four flights a week, connecting directly with Mumbai, a key Indian commercial hub, will cater to a diverse set of travellers from the two countries, facilitating tourism, commerce and strengthening bilateral ties.

Akasa is built on a solid foundation of reliability, service excellence and the highest standards of safety in global aviation. We are proud of our remarkable growth since inception, which is also a testimony of the sheer potential of the Indian aviation industry. Our foray into Qatar marks the next phase of growth as we continue our journey towards becoming one of the world’s top 30 airlines by the turn of this decade”, he added.

“We are driven by our purpose of connecting people, places and cultures and will continue to augment our global footprint in the coming months. We are confident that travellers will enjoy the signature Akasa experience, and that we will emerge as the preferred carrier on the route”, concluded Dube.

 

UP to amend property tax rules to boost tourism

The Uttar Pradesh government is set to amend the property tax rules and implement it from the next financial year. This is being done after almost a decade with the aim of boosting tourism.

The Urban Development Department had decided to amend the rules for calculation of tax for certain properties by introducing the draft rules in the first week of July.

The Department has received nine suggestions and objections to the draft.

The amended proposal will be put up before the Cabinet for approval and will be notified thereafter, reports IANS.

Property tax rules were last amended in 2013-14. While the rates of residential and non-residential buildings will remain unchanged, the department has offered relaxation to operators of starred hotel properties to boost tourism and employment in the state.

Similarly, provisions were required to distinguish between bed and breakfast accommodation and homestays from other budget hotels and guesthouses which will be liable to pay the tax as per norms.

According to the official spokesman, out of the nine objections, eight were filed by various stakeholders from Agra, the city which attracts about 60 per cent of the total foreign tourists visiting Uttar Pradesh.

Agra has over 2, 000 hotels and the need for amendment was felt as the tourism department has accorded industry status to starred properties and has assured such operators that the house tax, water sewerage tax and other municipal charges shall be levied according to the rates prescribed for industrial units.

Once the new rule is notified, starred properties, which are liable to pay up to six times of the base rate, would be levied only thrice the base rate.

However, budget hotels, guest houses and other accommodations will continue to pay six times the base rate as property tax.

In a letter to the government, president of the Agra based National Chamber of Industries and Commerce, Rajesh Goyal, had appealed that the property tax structure should be the same for both starred and budget properties.
“Bigger players will get a rebate while the smaller ones will have to bear the burden. The state government should keep similar charges for all, ” said one of the stakeholders from Agra.

Principal Secretary, Urban Development UP, Amrit Abhijat said that the response to the queries raised by the stakeholders would be issued along with proper justification. (Source: IANS)