Tourism Development In India

With special reference to tourism in Andhra Pradesh and contributions of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation.

The tourism industry of India is economically important and growing rapidly. The World Travel & Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹ 6.4 trillion or 6.6% of the nation's GDP in 2012. It supported 39.5 million jobs, 7.7% of its total employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an average annual rate of 7.9% from 2013 to 2023. This gives India the third rank among countries with the fastest growing tourism industries over the next decade. India has a large medical tourism sector which is expected to grow at an estimated rate of 30% annually to reach about ₹ 95 billion by 2015. According to provisional statistics 6.29 million foreign tourists arrived in India in 2011, an increase of 8.9% from 5.78 million in 2010. This ranks India as the 38th country in the world in terms of foreign tourist arrivals. Domestic tourist visits to all states and Union Territories numbered 1,036.35 million in 2012, an increase of 16.5% from 2011. The most represented countries are the United States (16%) and the United Kingdom (12.6%). In 2011 Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi were the most popular states for foreign tourists. Domestic tourists visited the states Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu most frequently. Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Agra have been the four most visited cities of India by foreign tourists during the year 2011. Worldwide, Chennai ranked 41 by the number of foreign tourists, while Delhi is ranked at 50, Mumbai at 57 and Agra at 65 and Kolkata at 99. The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013 ranks India 65th out of 144 countries overall. The report ranks the price competitiveness of India's tourism sector 20th out of 144 countries. It mentions that India has quite good air transport (ranked 39th), particularly given the country’s stage of development, and reasonable ground transport infrastructure (ranked 42nd). Some other aspects of its tourism infrastructure remain somewhat underdeveloped however. The nation has very few hotel rooms per capita by international comparison and low ATM penetration. As per the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, December 2013, India’s rank in the World Tourism Receipts during 2012 was 16th and rank in international tourist arrivals was 41. The rank of India was 7th among Asia and the Pacific Region in terms of tourism receipts during 2012. 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 the representatives of the private sector. Concerted efforts are being made to promote new forms of tourism such as rural, cruise, medical and eco-tourism. The Ministry also maintains the Incredible India campaign. India's rich history and its cultural and geographical diversity make its international tourism appeal large and diverse. It presents heritage and cultural tourism along with medical, business, educational and sports tourism. Therefore the practitioners, academicians and researchers need to meticulously review these aspects and acquaint them with knowledge to sustain in such scenarios. Thus, these evident scenarios emphasize the need of a broad-based research in the field of Tourism in India. This book is an attempt in that direction. I sincerely hope that this book will provide insights into the subject to faculty members, researchers and students from the Tourism institutes, consultants, practicing managers from industry and government officers. Prof. K.VijayaBabu Jayaprakashnarayana. G

India Is A Country 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 Attraction For Tourists. The Other Attractions Include Beautiful Beaches, Forests And Wildlife And Landscapes For Eco-Tourism, Snow, Rivers And Mountain Peaks For Adventure Tourism Technological Parks And Science Museums For Science Tourism, Centres Of Pilgrimage For Spiritual Tourism And Heritage Trains And Hotels For Heritage Tourism. Besides, Yoga, Ayurveda And Natural Health Resorts Also Attract Tourists. Tourism Has Emerged As An Instrument Of Employment Generation, Poverty Alleviation And Sustainable Human Development. It Has Vast Potential For Earning Large Sums Of Foreign Exchange Besides Giving A Fillip To The Country S Overall Economic And Social Development. Much Has Been Achieved, But Much More Has To Be Done. It Is A Multi-Dimensional Industry And Basically A Service Industry. It Would Be Necessary That All Wings Of The Central And State Governments, Private Sector And Voluntary Organisation Become Active Partners In The Endeavour To Attain Sustainable Growth In Tourism To Make India A World Player In The Tourist Industry. This Book Covers All Aspects Of The Industry. After Basic Introduction Of The Subject, Its Chapters Include Tourism In India: Past And Present Scenario; Geographical Basis Of Tourism In India; Indian Panorama; Travel Logistics; Socio - Cultural Heritage; Nature Of Tourism And Regional Set-Up. It Is Bound To Be Useful For All Tourists Besides Those Teaching And Studying The Subject And All Those Involved With The Tourism Industry In Any Manner.

Tourism to and within India has undergone some important changes in recent years seen by the rising numbers of international tourists and increase in domestic tourism. This has led to the redevelopment and rebranding of many of its destinations as the Indian government has begun to recognise the potential importance of tourism to the Indian economy and has begun to invest in tourism infrastructure. It is also recognised that as its economy continues to grow at a rapid rate, India will also become one of the most important countries in terms of future outbound tourism. Tourism and India is the first book to specifically focus on and fully analyze the issues facing contemporary India both as a destination and a potential source of tourists. The book analyses previous research and applies critical theory to key aspects of tourism in this region and supports this with a wide range of examples to illustrate the key conceptual points. As such the book examines aspects of tourism in India including tourism governance, cultural tourism, heritage tourism, nature-based tourism from the supply side and international tourism, domestic tourism, outbound tourism and the Indian Diaspora from the demand side. This timely book includes original research to offer insights into India’s future development in terms of tourism. It will be of interest to students, researchers and academics in the areas of Tourism, Geography and related disciplines.

Contributed articles at a seminar.