TOURISM IN INDIA
TOURSISM IN INDIA
India is one of the popular tourist destinations in Asia. India
has fascinated people from all over the world with her secularism and her
culture. Hence, India is a country with a great potential for tourism. Bounded
by the Himalayan ranges in the north and surrounded, on three sides by sea
(Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean), India offers a wide array of
places to see and things to do. The enchanting backwaters, hill stations and
landscapes make India a beautiful country.
There are historical monuments, beaches, places of religious
interests, hill resorts, etc. that attract tourists. Every region is identified
with its handicraft, fairs, folk dances, music and its people. Tourism is the
second largest foreign exchange earner in India. The tourism industry employs a
large number of people, both skilled and unskilled. It promotes national
integration and international brotherhood.
Tourism is highly labour intensive industry of a unique type. It
provides different services needed as well as expected by the incoming
tourists. At the world level, it is one of the largest in terms of money spent
by tourists in the countries they visit. This amount is said to exceed the GNP
of many countries with the sole exception of the USA. According to the latest
estimates of the world travel and tourism council, this industry is expected to
generate about 6 percent of India’s total employment.
The services rendered to foreign tourists visiting India are the
invisible products of tourism industry. These products, i.e. hospitality
services of all sorts for tourists turn into invisible exports because these
are included in this category without leaving Indian soil. More the foreign
exchange earnings, greater is the gain. In the same manner more the number of
visitors from foreign countries, more is our foreign exchange earning. The host
country has only to provide all possible facilities to the guest visitors to
keep them entertained and in a holidaying mood for the longest possible period
in hotels.
Longer is their stay, more money they will spend and their
earning is passed on to us. As the same time, the creative items like art
pieces fabrics in indigenous designs including heavy goods like carpets and a
lot more, do not fail to carry an appeal for the sightseers. Their sale in
India itself is an additional advantage. By exporting the same product through
an agent, our profit gets reduced. Next to ready made garments, gems and
jewelry, tourism is our largest export item in terms of its earnings. In 2005
The Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) started a campaign called
‘Incredible India’ to encourage tourism in India. For a better growth, the
department divided different places in different sections like ‘spiritual
tourism,’ ‘spa tourism’, ‘ecotourism’ and ‘adventure tourism’.
As Indian healthcare sector develops, a new term has been coined
called ‘Medical Tourism’, which is the process of people from all corners of
the world visiting India to seek medical and relaxation treatments. According to
research reports on Indian Healthcare sector, the medical tourism market is
valued to be worth over $310 million with foreign patients coming by 100,000
every year. Medical tourists choose India as their favorable destination
because of the key opportunities in Indian healthcare sector in the form of
efficient infrastructures and technology. The health insurance market and
National medical systems here are well developed, which is convenient for
visitors from the West and the Middle East. They also find the hospital
expenses very affordable.
STATS
Tourism in India is
important for the country's economy and is growing rapidly. The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated 16.91
lakh crore (US$240 billion) or 9.2% of India's GDP in 2018 and supported 42.673 million jobs, 8.1%
of its total employment. The
sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.9% to 32.05 lakh crore (US$450 billion) by 2028 (9.9%
of GDP). In October 2015, India's medical tourism sector was estimated to be worth US$3 billion, and it is projected to grow to
US$7–8 billion by 2020. In 2014, 184,298 foreign patients travelled to India to
seek medical treatment.
Over 10.04 million foreign tourists arrived in India in
2017 compared to 8.89 million in 2016, representing a growth of 15.6%. Domestic tourist visits to all states and union territories numbered 1,036.35 million in 2012, an increase of
16.5% from 2011. In
2014, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Uttar
Pradesh were the most popular
states for tourists. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Agra and Jaipur were the five
most visited cities of India by foreign tourists during the year 2015.
Worldwide, Delhi is ranked 28th by the number of foreign
tourist arrivals, while Mumbai is ranked 30th, Chennai 43rd, Agra 45th, Jaipur 52nd and Kolkata 90th.
The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 ranked India 34th out of 140 countries overall. India
improved its ranking by 6 places over the 2017 report which was the greatest
improvement among the top 25% of countries ranked. The report ranks the price
competitiveness of India's tourism sector 13th out of 140 countries. It
mentions that India has quite good air transport infrastructure (ranked 33rd),
particularly given the country's stage of development, and reasonable ground
and port infrastructure (ranked 28th). The country also scores high on natural
resources (ranked 14th), and cultural resources and business travel (ranked
8th). However, some other
aspects of its tourism infrastructure remain somewhat underdeveloped. The nation has many hotel rooms per capita by
international comparison and low ATM penetration. The World Tourism Organization reported that India's receipts from tourism during 2012
ranked 16th in the world, and 7th among Asian
and Pacific countries.
The Ministry of Tourism designs
national policies for the development and promotion of tourism. In the process,
the Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector
including various central ministries/agencies, state governments, union
territories and private sector representatives. Concerted efforts are being
made to promote niche tourism products such as rural, cruise, medical and
eco-tourism. The
Ministry of Tourism maintains the Incredible India campaign
focused on promoting the tourism in India.
MAPPING
NORTH INDIA : Munshi Ghat in Varanasi
Udaipur’s City Palace
Lotus Temple
in Delhi
Tso Moriri in
Ladakh
Golden Temple
in Amritsar
Mahabodhi
Temple
Dilwara
Temples
Jal Mandir at
Shikarji
West India: Candolim
Beach in Goa
Kailasa Temple
at ellora
Elephanta
Caves
Great Stupa at
Sanchi
Chaturbhuj
Temple in Orchha
Palatana
Temples
East India: Radhanagar
Beach on Havelock Island
Konark Sun
Temple in Odisha
Heritage Train
in Darjeeling
Morgan House in
Kalimpong
Bengal tiger in
Sunderbans
Dawki in
Meghalaya
South India: HouseBoat in
Kerala backwaters
Stone Charoit in
Hampi
Mysore Palace in
illuminates at night
Brihadeeswarar
Temple at Thanjavur
Saavira Kambada
Temple in Moodabidri
Silathoram in
Andhra Pradesh
Taj Mahal: Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the creator of the Taj Mahal, said
that the beauty of the monument made “the sun and the moon shed tears from
their eyes”. It has also been described as a “teardrop on the cheek of
eternity” by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Every year, thousands of
tourists from around the world make a beeline for this breathtakingly ethereal
marble monument, considerd by many as the most beautiful building constructed
by man. The monument was built as a memorial by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for
his deceased wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the seven wonders of the world
and is a monument of pride for not just Agra but also India.
Red Fort: Lying
at the heart of Delhi, the majestic Red Fort, made of fine red sandstone,
stands as a testament to the architectural legacy of the Mughals. One of the
most beautiful monuments in the world, this UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous
as qila-e-mubaraq, is replete with palaces, pavilions and mosques.
Built
by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as the palace fort of his capital Shahjahanabad,
Red Fort is famous for its massive enclosing walls. The architecture of the
fort reflects a seamless fusion of Islamic, Persian, Timurid and Hindu styles.
The major attractions are the Diwan-i-khas,
also known as the Shah Mahal, the Diwan-i-aam or the Hall of Public Audience
and the Rang Mahal (a part of the harem), also known as Imtiyaz Mahal. The
other monuments here are the Naubat Khana (Drum House), where royal musicians
played and announced the arrival of royal family members; the hammam (royal
bath), and the Muthamman Burj, or Musaman Burj (a tower where the emperor would
show himself to his subjects). Once the power of the Mughals weakend, the fort
was plundered by the Persians, led by Nadir Shah, in 1739. The invaders took
away much of the fort's treasures, including the opulent Peacock Throne, which
Shah Jahan had crafted out of gold and gemstones (including the precious
Kohinoor diamond).
Besides
the monuments, a major draw for tourists today is Son et Lumiere, a sound and
light show, which is held every evening. The enchanting one-hour long show
traces the Mughal empire's history in India and offers a glimpse of their
glorious past as well as the eventful phases that led to their downfall. The
narration has been recorded by legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, which makes
the show absolutely engaging.
Qutub Minar: Almost
as old as the history of the Delhi Sultanate, the iconic Qutub Minar, the
world's tallest brick minaret, dominates the skyline of the city. Standing 73
foot tall, this five-storeyed tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, remains one
of the most magnificent buildings of India from the medieval era. The first
three storeys of the tower are built in red sandstone while the fourth and
fifth are made of marble and sandstone. All the five floors are adorned with
projecting balconies.
Located
in Delhi's Mehrauli area, the Qutub Minar was commissioned by Qutub-ud-din
Aibak, who laid the foundation of Mamluk dynasty (1206-1290) in India. Inspired
by the victory tower at Ghazni, Afghanistan, its construction began in 1192 AD
but, unfortunately, Qutub-ud-din-Aibak, did not live long enough to witness its
completion. The tower was finally completed by his successors Iltutmish and
Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
Another
attraction here is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque that stands right next to the
minaret. Constructed by Qutub-ud-din-Aibak, the mosque is considered to be the
first building in the Qutub complex that houses a number of monuments. One of
the most popular among these is the Iron Pillar, also known as the Ashoka
Pillar, which dates back to the 4th century. Standing around 24 ft high and
weighing more than six tonne, the pillar is famous for its high resistance to
corrosion. It is a popular belief among
tourists visiting the complex that if you can encircle the pillar with your
arms while standing with your back to it, any wish you make will be fulfilled.
An example of this can be seen in a scene from Hindi movie Cheeni Kum, which
starred legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan.
Humayun’s Tombo: Surrounded by neatly manicured lawns, the massive Humayun’s
Tomb is a spectacular monument that was the first garden mausoleum built in the
Indian subcontinent. The first of the grand tombs synonymous with Mughal
architecture, this monument narrates a timeless saga of love and longing. Built
by Mughal emperor Humayun's first wife, empress Haji Begum, in her husband's
memory, the tomb houses the graves of both the emperor and his wife and stands
as a testament to their eternal love. Designed by Persian architect Mirak Mirza
Ghiyas, the imposing building invites tourists from all corners of the world.
As you enter the lush palm-lined lawns, you are welcomed by a beautiful
fountain, which makes a great photography backdrop. The garden is further
divided into four main sections by walkways and water channels; the design synonymous
with the Paradise Garden mentioned in the holy book of Islam, the Quran.
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