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Tourism 2

India's tourism industry attracts visitors with its varied cultures, landscapes, festivals, and heritage sites. The government has taken steps over several decades to develop tourism through various five-year plans and policies. Tourism now contributes significantly to India's GDP and is the second largest foreign exchange earner in the country.

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42 views

Tourism 2

India's tourism industry attracts visitors with its varied cultures, landscapes, festivals, and heritage sites. The government has taken steps over several decades to develop tourism through various five-year plans and policies. Tourism now contributes significantly to India's GDP and is the second largest foreign exchange earner in the country.

Uploaded by

manoj2345
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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India is known for its lavish treatment to all visitors, no matter where they come from.

Its visitor-friendly
traditions, varied life styles and cultural heritage and colourful fairs and festivals hold abiding attractions
for tourists. The other attractions include beautiful beaches, forests and wild life and landscapes for eco-
tourism, snow, river and mountain peaks for adventure tourism, technological parks and science
museums for science tourism; centres of pilgrimage for spiritual tourism; heritage trains and hotels for
heritage tourism. Yoga, ayurveda and natural health resorts also attract tourists. The Indian handicrafts
particularly, jewelry, carpets, leather goods, ivory and brass works are the main shopping items for
foreign tourists.

Tourism development in India has passed through many phases. At Government level the development
of tourist facilities was taken up in a planned manner in 1956 coinciding with the Second Five Year Plan.
The approach has evolved from isolated planning of single unit facilities in the Second and Third Five
Year Plans. The Sixth Plan marked the beginning of a new era when tourism began to be considered a
major instrument for social integration and economic development.

It was after the 80's that tourism activity gained momentum. The Government took several significant
steps. A National Policy on tourism was announced in 1982. Later in 1988, the National Committee on
Tourism formulated a comprehensive plan for achieving a sustainable growth in tourism. In 1992, a
National Action Plan was prepared and in 1996 the National Strategy for Promotion of Tourism was
drafted. The draft policy recognised the role of Central and State governments, public sector
undertakings and the private sector in the development of tourism. The need for involvement of
Panchayati Raj institutions, local bodies, non-governmental organisations and the local youth in the
creation of tourism facilities, has also been recognised.

The other major development that took place were the setting up of the Indian Tourism Development
Corporation in 1966 to promote India as a tourist destination and the Tourism Finance Corporation in
1989 to finance tourism projects. Twenty one government-run hotel management and catering
technology institutes and 14 food craft institutes were also established for imparting specialised training
in hoteliering and catering.

Domestic tourism is as old as the Indian society. It plays a vital role in achieving the national objectives
of promoting social and cultural cohesion and national integration. Its contribution to generation of
employment is very high. With the increase in income levels and emergence of a powerful middle class,
the potential for domestic tourism has grown substantially during the last few years. During 1999 about
175 million domestic tourists made visits outside their places of residence. Thus, it has emerged as an
instrument for employment generation, poverty alleviation and sustainable human development.

The growth of inbound tourism since Independence has been quite impressive. It was around 17
thousand in 1951. It has grown substantially over the last three decades. Foreign tourist arrivals during
1999 were 24,81,928. Foreign tourist arrivals in the month of August 2000 registered an increase of 5.3
per cent over the corresponding month last year. Foreign exchange earnings from tourism during August
2000 also registered an increase of 8.3 per cent over August 1999. It was Rs.1060.22 crore. Upto August
2000, total earning was Rs.8872.40 crore, 8.1 per cent higher than the corresponding period of previous
year. Tourism contributed Rs.24,241 crore during 1998-99 towards country's Gross Domestic Product.
Tourism has thus become the second largest net foreign exchange earner of the country.

Some of the initiatives taken by the Government to boost tourism include grant of export house status
to the tourism sector and incentives for promoting private investment in the form of Income Tax
exemptions, interest subsidy and reduced import duty. The hotel and tourism-related industry has been
declared a high priority industry for foreign investment which entails automatic approval of direct
investment up to 51 per cent of foreign equity and allowing 100 per cent non-resident Indian
investment and simplifying rules regarding the grant of approval to travel agents, tour operators and
tourist transport operators. The Government has so far approved 389 tour operators, 298 travel agents,
240 transport operators and two adventure tour operators. With a view to attract more tourist charter
flights to India, the system of granting clearances has been liberalised. A new air-conditioned rake of
Palace on Wheels train has been fabricated and has become operational in Rajasthan. Another special
tourist train Orient Express has been introduced in Gujarat sector and a few more in the private sector
are likely to be introduced.

During the Golden Jubilee celebrations of India as a Republic, the Ministry of Tourism made special
efforts to publicize the tourism potential of India. Planning Commission has approved a Plan outlay of
Rs.793.75 crores for the Ministry of Tourism for the ninth plan period. The Year 1999 was celebrated as
Explore Indian Millennium Year. A special calendar of events has been formulated for highlighting
contributions to Millennium events by various places in all the State.

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