The tourism sector is one of the largest contributors to the country’s GDP and economy. For many years, it has been catering to the recreational needs of the people and providing jobs to hundreds of people. But lately, the tourism industry is grasping at straws.

Tourism sector was hit hard by the pandemic and nationwide lockdown and now the rising fuel prices have broken the backbone of tourism. Sadly, tourism has come expensive than ever and thus people are a bit reluctant to travel. Nothing worse than this could have happened to intensify the problems for the common man and tourists as well.

When such pressing situations arise, our foremost thought is to trim the fat. That means in order to keep our households and businesses running, we have to cut out the things that are not essential for our survival. With the shrinking economy, local tourism gets deeply impacted. Not all the Indians are then able to afford to go on a holiday or even a small trip. Moreover, family holidays seem like a luxurious thing. Thus, the direct effects are felt by local businesses and communities associated with tourism
While the hotel owners and travel companies were expecting a boost in the number of travellers after the restrictions were removed, they still could not feel relieved. With that said, Petrol price is now almost Rs 90 per litre which means that getting out of the house has become more expensive for the people. And looking at the stats, it can be assumed that we’re likely to witness a further hike in the fuel price in the upcoming months.
After already suffering a setback from the Corona virus pandemic, the tourism sector is again facing a cascading effect from the hike in fuel prices. Not only this has increased the taxi fares but also the hotel charges as well. This steep climb in the fuel prices is impacting common man and budget tourists as well. Therefore, the atmosphere at the travel destinations is of anger and helplessness rather than disquiet.
Moreover, there is a direct connection between increasing fuel prices and the expense of travel and other related services. As a matter of fact, with the increased fares, people try to avoid unnecessary travel.
Due to the fuel prices and flight ticket fares, only a small number of people are expected to travel. But the airplanes are taking flight every day even if some of the seats are unsold. Thus, the spoilage rates become high as the loss from unsold seats cannot be regained ever.
It is high time that the Indian tourism entities should come up with a strategic plan considering the connection between fuel prices and the tourism industry. If the fuel prices are going to increase, then this burgeoning crisis should be addressed creatively.
Though foreign tourists would not be affected as much as the local tourists, attempts should be made to cushion the blow for the tourism industry. And for that purpose, campaigns and other incentives should be given to the domestic tourists in order to get them out of their houses. Moreover, discounts could be offered to attract new and maintain the regular tourists. Packages with group transportation facilities should be promoted in order to cut expenditure on fuel. But in the long run, innovations to cut the tourism industry’s dependence on fuel should be promoted.

These strategies will have an immensely positive impact on the local communities. Also, the tourism industry should explore more options as sustainable sources of fuel that are not only economical but also efficient.