LARGE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN TOURISM IN INDIA
As per available information the travel and tourism sector in India has employed about 42 million people. While comparing the income from this with other selected countries there seems to be a wide scope for bringing in more people into it. According to Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024 published by World Economic Forum India ranked 39th among 119 countries. This itself shows large scope for development of our tourism industry. Contribution from tourism sector to our GDP in the recent past is as below.
2020 - 4.3%
2021 - 5.8%
2022 - 5.9%
2023 - 9.1%
Earning from Tourism by top countries in the world in 2023 are given below.
USA - $1.8 trillion
Spain - $150 bn
Japan - $300 bn
France - $200 bn
Australia - $60 bn
Germany - $100 bn
UK - $120 bn
China - $200 bn
Italy - $150 bn
Switzerland - $20.5 bn
As per available information India has earned $231.6 bn in 2023 from tourism sector.
(Since these datas are collected from various Web sources, please do not use these for any official or exam purpose until the genuinity is confirmed)
According to data released by the ministry of tourism for October 2023 Bangladesh was the largest source for foreign tourists coming to India. Bangladesh accounted for 21.4% of all tourists arrived, followed by USA 15.7% , UK 11.3%, Australia 4.6% and Canada 3.8%.(This may include the people from Bangladesh coming here for job. In the cases of other countries as shown above, it could be Indians settled in those countries visiting their homeland also might have added)
Now let us find how to accommodate large number of people in the sector. Instead of planning for the whole country we may make a sample for one state; Kerala, God's Own Country.
There can be over 150 new tourist resorts constructed. They should have around ten rooms with all basic amenities, kitchen, dining space and stage with facilities for various art forms. Cars and two wheelers should be made available on rent. Tourist guide should be available on call. Performing artists, astrologers, numerologists, palmists, black magic, mashinottam, magicians, snake charmers etc should be available on call. Large varieties of local food should be made available on short notice. Enough stock of beer should be made available with due permission from the concerned authorities.
During temple festivals, good seating arrangements should be provided at suitable locations for the tourists to watch the function. A nominal amount can be charged from the tourists.
Another most important thing is that Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government of India should arrange TV broadcasting exclusively for tourism promotion in as many countries as possible in their own language. The resort owners must send their representatives to abroad to attend seminars, conferences, exhibitions etc for the publicity of tourism in India.
There are over 200 Indian consulates across the world. There are an average of over 26 staff members in each consulate. If one of them can be entrusted with the tourist portfolio too he can coordinate with various activities related with tourism development. When we have wide scope for attracting more tourists and deploying more people in this sector we must put optimum efforts towards this.
Over and above all these we must tighten the disciplinary activities within the soil of our mother land. The foremost is absolute safety of women within our country. We should also ensure cleanness all over India. Good food and well behaviour must also be ensured. Eradication of narcotics from the country should be arranged. Road closures, traffic suspension and shop closures should not be allowed under any form of protests by political parties or by any groups as these make hours of detention of tourists at various places like airports, railway stations, bus stands, lodges ets. If the government can organise the people well with confidence we can multiply the income from tourism sector.
K V George
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