Monday 18 / November / 2024
New Delhi: With its diverse culture, heritage, cuisine, natural beauty, adventure, luxury, wildlife, and wellness, India is a popular destination for travellers seeking unique and authentic experiences.
From the Himalayas in the North to the serene backwaters in the South, from the bustling cities to the quiet villages, from the capital's world-famous street food to the diverse cuisine in the south, there is something for everyone.
While a whopping 6.9 million tourists visited India from abroad (a four-fold increase since negative growth during the pandemic) in 2022, this number is only expected to increase. The tourism sector is an important pillar of the 'Make in India' programme: it not only contributes to economic growth and generates employment but also promotes cultural exchange and offers many social benefits.
In the midst of India's G20 presidency, the government is striving to further improve this sector. A 360-degree approach is being adopted to develop infrastructure with a focus on enhancing rail, road, and air connectivity. The development of 50 new tourist locations and 59 new air routes is being planned, and green tourism is also being explored.
In the 2023-2024 Union Budget speech by the Finance Minister, tourism was termed a key sector with significant untapped potential—in terms of job opportunities and entrepreneurship. An amount of INR 24 million was allocated for the development of related infrastructure, promotion and branding. The budget also focused on preservation and conservation: for instance, the Amrit Dharohar scheme will be implemented to encourage optimal use of wetlands, enhance biodiversity, and promote ecotourism opportunities and income generation for local communities.
Plans to develop an app covering all relevant aspects of tourism were also announced. Additionally, states will be encouraged to establish unity malls as tourism centers to promote One District One Product, GI products, handicrafts and products of other states.
With increasing focus on boosting domestic tourism and the local economy, the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ scheme has been rolled out, under which the Ministry of Tourism has launched various initiatives such as a webinar series featuring virtual tours of different tourist destinations in India. A Paryatan Parv campaign has been introduced to encourage people to travel within the country and explore its rich cultural and natural heritage.
The tourism ministry participated in the ongoing Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to showcase "Incredible India" and launched the 'Visit India Year 2023' campaign at the event
The 'Visit India Year 2023' campaign highlights India's diverse tourism offerings and the country's commitment to sustainable tourism practices.
The Union Ministry of Tourism has also partnered with various state governments and tourism boards to promote tourist destinations and activities in their respective states. For example, According Minister of Tourism of the Rajasthan Government, stated that government plans to revive 23 old airstrips across the state, which would in turn boost tourism, especially in rural areas and create employment opportunities.
To further highlight India’s rich and diversified potential, the Incredible India campaign (launched in 2002) has been a significant step towards promoting the country as an attractive tourist destination. Building on this, Incredible India 2.0 was launched, marking a shift from generic promotions across the world to marketing specific promotional plans and increasing digital presence via content creation. The campaign focuses on highlighting lesser-known tourist destinations, such as the country’s rural and tribal areas, wildlife sanctuaries and adventure sports destinations. It also emphasizes the country's unique cultural diversity, cuisine and traditional arts and crafts.
For International Women’s Day and to revive tourism in the wake of COVID-19, the Karnataka Tourism Authority launched the 6-day ‘Women Blogger Travel Program’ in March 2021, taking female travel influencers on a journey to explore the coastal areas of Karnataka.
However, there are still challenges that need to be addressed to fully realise the potential of India's tourism sector; these include improving the quality of tourism infrastructure and promoting sustainable environment friendly tourism practices. By addressing these and continuing to promote
India's unique tourism offerings, such as its rich cultural heritage, diverse natural attractions, and spiritual destinations, the country can further enhance its position as a premier tourist destination across the globe and continue to drive economic growth and social development.
Electric, trippy and always beautiful, “In India the thing you notice first, the thing that stays with you, is the colours. It's like somebody, just before you got off the plane, changed the lenses in your head, which turned up your colour receptors from 7 to like 14. The colours burn right through your eye balls and into your brain,” said the famous travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain in an interview, expressing his love for India and its people.
