Tourism industry hikes in the post COVID world – Coal companies playing their part

Sustainable tourism has become a need of the hour amidst Covid-19 pandemic. To promote the trend, various coal companies led by major players like WCL, Vedanta, Gautam Adani in Goa, Odisha, etc. have initiated to develop eco-parks having bird watching, adventure and water sporting sights, besides other environmental friendly inclusions.

Tourism is one of the largest industries that contribute to enhance the country’s GDP. As per the reports generated by World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the sector contributed to around 6.8 per cent of India’s GDP in 2019, hence giving a rise to 39.80 million jobs, which accounts for 8 per cent of its total employment. The sudden onset of Covid-19 pandemic led to an unexpected downfall in tourist mobility by 22 per cent in the first quarter of 2020, as compared to the same quarter in 2019 and a gradual fall of 82.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2021 in comparison to the same period in 2020.

Various initiatives launched by government in the post-Covid world, like, ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ campaign encouraging travelers to explore cultural, wildlife, adventurous and many other kinds of tourism are a great help in enhancing the tourism industry.

Major tourism affected states like Delhi, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, etc. have gradually started to see an upsurge in the number of domestic travelers. In order to comply with the Covid-19 protocols, sustainable tourism has become a need of the hour. To promote the trend, various coal companies led by major players like WCL, Vedanta, Gautam Adani in Goa, Odisha, etc., have started to develop eco-parks having bird watching, adventure and water sporting sights along with other environmental friendly inclusions.

Although coal mines are often scrutinized for emitting chemicals leading to air and dust pollution, many coal handling and mining projects taken over by major private players have started using less degradable ways. For instance, Gautam Adani’s Goa project for cargo handling uses water spray for controlling dust emissions, while Vedanta Sesa Goa Iron ore has given way to various plantation drives for all its projects, and various others.

These eco-friendly activities have changed the sentiments, leading to a rise in the average daily footfall number in eco-parks to around 8,000. With such initiatives in progress, the tourism industry is predicted to witness a renewed boost and grow at an annual rate of 6.9 per cent by 2028, making 9.9 per cent of the GDP.