Introduce ‘Covid-19 insurance policy’ to attract foreign tourists: Maharaj

Dehradun: With an aim to boost tourism, Uttarakhand tourism and culture minister Satpal Maharaj on Friday wrote a letter to Union tourism minister Prahlad Patel requesting him to introduce special life insurance policies for foreign tourists so that they can travel to India without fearing treatment expenses.

In his letter to the Union minister, Satpal Maharaj said that as many as 10.9 billion foreign tourists visited India in 2019 but the tourism activities in the country have been greatly affected due to the pandemic. Therefore, it is currently becoming necessary to implement a “Covid-19 Insurance Policy” to bring tourism back on track in the country.

“The tourism influx, both domestic and foreign, has witnessed a major setback due to Covid-19 outbreak. There is an atmosphere of fear among domestic tourists and among those coming from abroad as well. In such a situation, it would be great if the government can provide protection to tourists in the form of life insurance policies. This will attract both domestic and foreign tourists,” said Maharaj.

In the letter, Maharaj added that the Kumbh Mela, scheduled in Uttarakhand in 2021, also attracts hundreds of foreign devotees. “Therefore, it is very important to get Covid-19 life insurance for the protection of the pilgrims who come here. This is not something far-fetched as countries like Singapore and others are already offering such insurance policies,” he added.

Source: The Times of India