Around 21.5 million people, involved in the tourism industry, have lost their jobs due to COVID-19 pandemic, Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy told Parliament on Monday.
“We have conducted a study on the impact of the pandemic on tourism. As per the study, there were 14.5 million job losses during the first wave, 5.2 million job losses in the second wave and 1.8 million job losses in the third wave,” Reddy said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour.
Tourist arrivals in the country were down by 93 percent during the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak, 79 percent in the second wave and 64 percent during the third wave, minister said.
38 million people were involved with the tourism industry in the country before the pandemic hit the country, PTI quoted Reddy as saying in the Parliament.
“I appeal to all state governments to help the tourism sector in whatever way they can,” he said.
To encourage more international tourists, the government has already decided to waive the visa fee of the first five lakh arrivals, minister claimed.
