A two-day tourist survey training and capacity-building programme organised by the officials from the Ministry of Tourism at the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Directorate concluded on Tuesday.

During the session, tourism department officials and surveyors received training on the new survey methodology. The workshop provided detailed explanations on estimating the number of visitors/tourists inflow in accordance with the standards set by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and recording them in the questionnaire.

The Tourism Ministry has introduced this new survey system to ensure uniformity in estimating the number of tourists in accordance with international standards. Given the pivotal role of the tourism sector in contributing to the nation’s economy, accurate data is crucial for infrastructure development and the enhancement of tourism facilities.

The tourist survey methodology consists of two phases: the preliminary phase spanning a month and the second (main phase) spanning 12 months. The main purpose of conducting phase I (preliminary phase) is to assess the visitor traffic at different destinations/exit points to distribute the sample sizes equally for the main surveys. This new tourist survey methodology will bring uniformity in the collection of tourist figures from all states, thus ensuring India’s prominence in the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI). As of 2023, India ranks 54th in this index.

Currently, the existing surveys collect data on only 68 indicators, whereas, according to the UNWTO, data should be collected for 145 indicators.

After the training, officials and employees from the Tourism Ministry and the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department conducted field tours to fill out questionnaires as per the new survey methodology.

Fakhre Alam, Director, Ministry of Tourism, Rahul Gupta, Deputy Director, Ministry of Tourism, Jyoti Ranjan Majumdar, independent consultant, and Isha Priya, Special Secretary in the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, were present in the two-day session along with other officials and surveyors.

The adoption of international standards for tourist surveys is a significant step towards enhancing the accuracy and reliability of tourism data, ultimately contributing to the growth and development of the tourism industry in Uttar Pradesh and across India.