Videos
India Is Squandering Its Tourism Potential; What’s Going Wrong?
Not enough tourists are coming to India.
Transcript:
There is the Taj Mahal, the Nilgiri mountain ranges, the ruins of Hampi, the Konark Sun Temple, and many, many other tourist sites that dot nearly every kilometre of India’s majestic landscape.
And yet, curiously, India receives fewer foreign tourists than the tiny island of Macau. And fewer even than the city of Barcelona.
Wait a minute, something’s wrong.
Four of the world’s 35 biodiversity hotspots lie in India. It is also home to 37 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And yet, not enough tourists are visiting India.
What’s going wrong?
Well, it’s a combination of factors that we have all come to know well -- the lack of adequate connectivity, not enough hotels available, the searing pollution, its reputation for being unsafe for women, the cumbersome visa process. You know the rest.
Some of these factors are obviously exaggerated and overplayed, but perception counts for a lot in these areas.
But perhaps the most concerning factor, and one that is not all that discussed, is the poor Indian attitude towards its cultural and heritage sites.
When the country itself doesn’t celebrate its culture, how can it expect others around the world to give it that privilege?
So what can India do? There is one state that is actually doing a good job on the tourism front -- Rajasthan. Tourism accounts for as much as over 15 per cent of the state GDP. Enterprising rural elites there have converted their ancestral homes into boutique hotels. The economic benefits, as a result, are accruing to rural households, who in turn get an incentive to preserve their heritage.
India can definitely take a leaf out of Rajasthan’s tourism book.
The idea is simple -- open the doors wide to tourists everywhere. Let them come in, and make it easier for them to do so. That will help boost India’s soft power and grow its economy even more.
And, in the process, if it can help generate enough revenue to lift millions out of poverty, who would complain?
*
Read this story from our April 2019 issue to know more: What Indian Tourism Is, And What Indian Tourism Can Be
*
Subscribe to Swarajya on YouTube to keep up with our regular stream of videos.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
