| Travel and tourism has gained a never-before | | | | the world MICE market is estimated to be |
| momentum over the last decade. And India, | | | | around $280 billion of which Asia's share is |
| except for some areas to be heeded, has been | | | | $30 billion. Initiatives are also being taken |
| keeping pace to the money-making and | | | | to develop 127 rural sites into tourist |
| development drive. Initiatives taken up by | | | | destination to flaunt their local culture, |
| India through various measures including | | | | heritage, cuisine and art. This is how things |
| public-private partnership are much visible | | | | have started to take off. |
| now. 2007 witnessed over five million | | | | |
| tourists to India and the trend continues in | | | | Herein lies the rub. As of now, efforts being |
| 2008 with 12% growth in foreign traffic and | | | | taken are more of branding exercises than |
| 29% growth in forex earning in the first four | | | | working for the ground realities. Unless |
| months of the year. Setting up of a tourism | | | | India makes it to offer quality tourism |
| office in Beijing gave forth a new avenue as | | | | products and world-class infrastructure, |
| far as tour to India is concerned. But, India | | | | branding exercise alone can't turn up |
| still has miles to wade through in terms of | | | | returns. In a country like India, tourism is |
| offering better tourism products and | | | | largely a regional phenomenon, while some |
| world-class infrastructure. 'Incredible | | | | areas are flourishing with activities; some |
| India' campaign has been a major success of | | | | are unexplored yet even as they have |
| the past few years. But it doesn't cause us | | | | potential. Tourists still gather at the |
| to be poised enough for our neighbor china | | | | conventional sites of some prominent cities |
| boasts of 50 millions foreign visitors and we | | | | of India like Delhi, Agra, Mumbai, etc. Given |
| have the required potential. | | | | the range of diversity; and heritage pool, we |
| | | | could have adopted measures to disburse |
| The campaign has been triumphant in capturing | | | | foreign tourists to each corner of the |
| high-end tourists spending more time in | | | | country. |
| India. And even though countries like | | | | |
| Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore have | | | | Our land is already a tourists-savvy one. All |
| larger number of tourists arrivals, the | | | | we need is a strategy involving public and |
| foreign exchange earned per foreign tourist | | | | private participation. There is acute |
| of India is much higher - which is $1,920 | | | | shortage of hotels and manpower to deal with |
| compare to Indonesia ($905), Singapore ($835) | | | | escalating number of tourists. Floor Area |
| and Malaysia ($520). This is because India is | | | | Ratio (FAR) in many cities is still |
| able to provide quality products, better | | | | inadequate. France has little to flaunt in |
| service and improved infrastructure. Ambika | | | | terms of cuisine, geography and culture; and |
| Soni, Minister of Tourism and Culture in a | | | | a country six times smaller than India, can |
| recent interview highlighted many areas that | | | | attract 20 times number of tourist that India |
| are being taken care of for us to be hopeful | | | | did. |
| of India's economic growth. The minister said | | | | |
| Medical Tourism has got a boost and over one | | | | India is insecure. The cases of tourist |
| lakh fifty thousand patients arrived in India | | | | murder are being reported every month, the |
| in 2004 from across the globe for medical | | | | tragic murder of scarlet recently has added |
| treatment. E-commerce platform has been put | | | | to the woes of foreigners. Foreigners are |
| on the portal of Incredible India. This | | | | fleeced everywhere. Many hotspots in India |
| service has got many online companies like | | | | are connected unacceptably. It is high time |
| yatra.com, makemytrip.com, etc. together thus | | | | for India to embark on a mission to develop |
| enabling the customers to avail competitive | | | | the unexplored sites across India, connect |
| price. | | | | them properly; increase the number of hotels; |
| | | | provide infrastructure; offer security to |
| In an effort to put India on the global | | | | foreigners and finally to wake up Indians to |
| tourism map, we have witnessed BBC and CNN to | | | | work jointly to make our country the best |
| have produced number of TV commercials for | | | | travel getaway of the world. Mere branding |
| 'Incredible India' campaign both in domestic | | | | efforts wouldn't work. |
| and international markets. This time around, | | | | |