India is a land of great tourism potential. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat, every region has its own uniqueness and flavour. Be it cold/hot deserts (Ladakh/Rajasthan), rivers (Ganges and Brahmaputra), forests (Niligiri & North East) or islands (Andaman and Nicobar), each landform is bound to mesmerize tourists. Moreover, the wide variety in the landscape offers a range of choices to tourists from within India and abroad. 

 

In October 2017, the Union Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with other central ministries, state governments and stakeholders successfully organized “Paryatan Parv” across the country. The 21-day program was organized with the objective of drawing focus on the benefits of tourism, showcasing the cultural diversity of the country and reinforcing the principle of “Tourism for All”. India’s tourism sector witnessed a growth of 4.5 per cent in terms of foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) with 8.2 million arrivals in 2015, and a growth of 4.1 per cent in foreign exchange earnings (FEEs) of USD 21.1 billion.

 

However, tourism-associated economic and social infrastructure – hotels, connectivity, human resources, hygiene, health facilities, etc are largely under-developed in India. The poor quality of infrastructure is reflected in India’s 112th rank in the ICT readiness component and 104th rank in the health and hygiene components of the WEF’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017. The safety and security of tourists, especially of foreign tourists, is a major roadblock to tourism development. Attacks on foreign nationals, especially on women, raise questions about India’s ability to welcome tourists from far away countries. A majority of the tourist spots in the country are not accessible to poor, women and elderly. This is because of the high costs of travelling, poor connectivity and a series of permissions required for various reasons.

 

Tourism not only creates jobs in the tertiary sector but also encourages growth in the primary and secondary sectors of industry. Hence, it is high time, the government encourages the participation of the private sector in a big way for the all-round development of the tourism sector that has the potential to act as the key driver of inclusive growth.