Kejriwal Government’s priority is to transform Delhi into a clean, livable, equitable and 24×7 city: Jasmine Shah
The globally celebrated Kejriwal Governance Model can very well develop Delhi as a tourist attraction: Jasmine Shah
DDC Vice-Chairperson Jasmine Shah addresses the inaugural session of the 4th Delhi Tourism e-Conclave organized by CII
NEW DELHI:
The Delhi Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal, is committed to develop Delhi into one of the top tourism capitals of the world, said Dialogue and Development Commission Vice-Chairperson, Shri Jasmine Shah on Wednesday. DDC is the policy think-tank of the Delhi Government, which regularly engages with corporations, philanthropic organisations and civic bodies on several urban development issues. Addressing the 4th edition of the Delhi Tourism e-Conclave organised by The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the Chief Guest for the inaugural session, Shri Jasmine Shah noted the key role of the tourism industry in accelerating economic growth in Delhi.
Shri Jasmine Shah said, “Delhi, with its rich heritage and cultural diversity, is the only Indian city to be featured among the 100 World’s Best Cities for 2021 ranked 62nd. Delhi has several features which attract tourists such as its iconic parks, lakes and water bodies, the amalgamation of diverse cultures, languages and cuisines and its world-class intra-city connectivity through accessible roadways and the Delhi Metro, which is the largest metro network in India and globally recognized as one of the best mass transit systems. Building upon these features, Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal has announced his vision for 2047 to develop Delhi into one of the top global cities, which requires the support and expertise of all stakeholders including the industry. The DDC and Delhi Government across various departments have been continuously designing and implementing short-term, mid-term and long-term measures towards this ambitious vision.”
Shri Jasmine Shah noted the priority areas for the Government to establish Delhi as a top tourist capital across the world. He observed that littered garbage and landfills have been a black spot in Delhi for decades. The first step would be to transform Delhi into a clean city. Secondly, the Kejriwal Government envisions building Delhi into a 24×7 city. In this regard, the Government consulted stakeholders in the Hotels and Restaurants industry to understand their concerns. Thereafter, the Industries Department eased 464 regulations by removing the obsolete ones and simplifying compliance. Third, an important pillar of developing a tourist destination is to make the city livable. The Delhi Government has led the fight against air pollution with consistent interventions such as shutting thermal power plants, mandating industries to switch to PNG and with its progressive Electric Vehicle policy-emerging as the Electric Vehicle capital of India. Lastly but most significantly, increasing the per capita income of the residents of Delhi. Tourism, in this regard, has surfaced as one of the top 3 sectors that’ll play a central role.
Shri Jasmine Shah highlighted some key initiatives of the Delhi Government to boost tourism in Delhi including Dekho Meri Dilli (Delhi Tourism App) launched in September has recorded downloads from across the globe, Delhi Film Policy to brand Delhi as a vibrant tourist and travel destination and monthly fairs and festivals recording a footfall of over 30,000 people per day. Babasaheb-the grand musical organized by the Delhi Government was another pioneering initiative to make a grand musical theatre based on the life of Dr BR Ambedkar accessible to the general public and has also recorded a footfall of over 30,000 people every day since its launch.
Sharing the broad policy interventions for the future of tourism in Delhi, Shri Jasmine Shah said, “Delhi has the potential to become a street food capital. The Delhi Government is working towards reducing the regulatory burden on Hotels, Restaurants and Café (HORECA) and Breakfast and Bed (B&B) industries. Delhi could also emerge as a global shopping capital. Delhi Governance Model can be developed into a tourist attraction, which showcases the globally celebrated models initiated by the Kejriwal Government such as world-class school infrastructure, Olympic-size swimming pools in schools, Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics, among many others. The Delhi Government is also reviving over 500 lakes and water bodies and developing over 1000 neighbourhood parks with world-class infrastructure. These spaces are being designed as accessible venues with all public amenities.”
Shri Jasmine Shah expressed the Delhi Government’s keen interest in engaging with the CII and its industry members in branding Delhi as a top global tourism capital, while inaugurating a report drafted by KPMG regarding tourism in Delhi.