LTC Stimulus: Travel, tourism & hospitality sector feels deprived  

The travel, tourism and hospitality sector has been deprived of the government's latest stimulus to spur discretionary spending ahead of the festive season, an industry body said.

The government's LTC Cash Voucher Scheme and Rs 10,000 festival advance to its employees will provide more liquidity to the customers for discretionary spending and boost demand.

"The Tourism industry instead of being bailed out is now deprived of the LTC fund. Our Industry is dying and our employees are losing jobs in every avenue but our own Prime Minister has forgotten our existence, the backbone of India," Travel Agents Association of India president Jyoti Mayal said.

The LTC funds should have been utilised in 'Dekho Apna Desh' the Prime Minister Vision's would have been achieved, she said, adding that "We haven't even got one bailout".

The Travel Agents Association of Bengal president Somnath Chowdhury said it is a "major setback" for the industry which was trying to limp back to survival.

He said at least 40,000-50,000 have turned jobless in just the city and surrounding as business had crashed.

Meanwhile, traders apprehending the majority of the additional boost out of this stimulus would spur demand for e-commerce players demanded said this spending should be directed only at physical stores for the survival of the small brick and mortar shops.