Reigniting Destination Appeal

Acknowledgments:
The report has been prepared by Dr. Suparna Karmakar under
the overall supervision of Rahul Chakravarty, Additional Director,
FICCI. FICCI acknowledges the effort put in by Dr. Karmakar and
the care and caution taken in compiling this report.

The information contained herein has been obtained from

sources believed to be reliable. Both FICCI and the consultant
disclaim all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or
adequacy of such information, and shall have no liability for
errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained
herein or for interpretations thereof. Neither FICCI nor the
consultant accepts any liability for any direct, consequential or
perceived loss arising from the use of this report or its contents.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 2

I. Introduction 10

II. Inbound Tourism : Performance Indicators 12

and Policy Initiatives by GoI

III. Beyond Incredible India: Marketing and 20

Tourism Initiatives in Selected States

IV. Promoting India as a Tourism Hotspot: 34

Policy Way Forward
Executive Summary
 Executive Summary
The launch of Incredible India campaign in the last decade resulted in a
visible spurt in the flow of foreign tourists into India and earnings therefrom
(see Charts for FTAs and FEE below), which grew at double digit rates until
the onset of the financial crisis in 2008. The growth trend resumed after a
couple of years of slowdown after 2008, and notwithstanding the FTA growth
rate see-saw in recent times, foreign tourist inflows in India is predicted to
grow at an average annual rate of 8.8 percent in the coming decade. A 2011
forecast of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) predicted that
FTAs will cross 11 million by 2021 (approximately one percent of the global
tourist population). This is being boosted by the steady rise in T-VoAs in the
country. During the month of February 2013 the number of Visa on Arrival
(T-VoA) tourists registered a growth of 54.6 percent as compared to the T-
VoAs issued in the month of February 2012.

Chart: Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India, 2002-2012

30

25

20

15 FTAs in India
(in million)
10
Percentage change
over previous year
5

0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
-5

-10

Source: Bureau of Immigration and Ministry of Tourism, GOI

2 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

Foreign exchange earnings (FEE) from tourism grew by 19.8 percent in
rupee terms in February 2013 as compared to February 2012, although the
FTA growth was much lower; this also indicates an impressive growth in the
exchange earnings per tourist that was realised despite the ongoing
slowdown in developed country markets, an increase in the cost of travelling
and a fluctuating exchange rate. Foreign tourists tend to spend more in India
than almost any other country worldwide. These are positive signs for the
industry, and indicate significant potential going forward.

Chart: Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) from Tourism in India, 2002-2012

50

40

30

FEE from Tourism in

20
India (inUS$ billion)

Percentage change
10 over previous year

-5
2 3 5 6 7 8 9 * * )*
00 0
0 04
0 00 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0 1 J n
1 1
0 0 - u

-10 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

a
n

J (

2
1
0

Source: RBI and Ministry of Tourism, GOI; Note: * advance estimates

Source country breakup and Foreign Tourist Preferences

In 2011, India's share in international tourist flows was 0.64 percent of world
travelers (India's share in the international tourism receipts was relatively
higher at 1.61 percent in 2011), and 2.9 percent of travelers from Asia-Pacific
(share in tourism receipts being 5.72 percent). All these shares have been
steadily rising since 2002, and were not significantly affected by the 2008
financial crisis. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report of 2012 by
the World Economic Forum ranks India 12th in the Asia-Pacific Region and
68th globally; the report is very bullish on India's tourism growth outlook.

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 3

 The rising FTA flows is clearly a function of the stellar growth performance of
the Indian economy in the new century. An important outcome of the rising
economic growth in India has been that MICE has emerged as one of the
major tourism products, along with pilgrimage travel and health tourism, and
is one of the reasons why India is considered to be one of the most
promising markets in tourism in the near future. These sectors show a lot of
potential in the coming years.

The breakup of source country for FTA origin for 2011 indicate that US led
with a 16 percent share in total FTA arrivals, followed by UK (12.57 percent),
Bangladesh (6.34 percent), Sri Lanka (4.85 percent), and Canada (4.05
percent). The top 10 source countries accounted for 61 percent of the total
tourist flows in the year, according to data from Bureau of Immigration, GOI.

In 2011, travel for leisure, recreation and holidays accounted for just over
half of all international tourist arrivals (51 percent or 505 million arrivals).
However, for India, more FTAs report travelling for business and professional
purposes and for other purposes, such as visiting friends and relatives
(VFR), religious reasons and pilgrimages, health treatment etc. For the
holiday makers, heritage and culture of the country/tourist location are the
pre-dominant factors for consideration prior to their visit to India.

Of the different states, Maharashtra (24.7 percent), Tamil Nadu (17.3

percent), Delhi (11.1 percent), Uttar Pradesh (9.7 percent) and Rajasthan
(6.9 percent) were the top five states to receive inbound foreign tourists in
2011, accounting for nearly 70 percent of FTAs; West Bengal followed
closely with 6.2 percent FTA traffic in 2011. The majority of foreign tourists
visiting India are individual travellers (primarily business visitors), religious
travelers and medical tourists; this is clearly evident from the high share of
key business zones, religious sites and high-end medical facilities available
in the country as represented in the top 10 Indian states that attracted over
90 percent of the FTAs in 2011 (see Table 3 in the main Report).

GOI Initiatives and Marketing Campaigns

The Tourism Ministry has played an important role in the development of the
industry, initiating advertising campaigns such as the Incredible India campaign,

4 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

which promoted India's culture and tourist attractions in a fresh and memorable
way projecting India as an attractive tourist destination by showcasing different
aspects of Indian culture and history like yoga, spirituality, etc. The campaign,
launched in 2002 to encourage visitors from around the world to experience
India helped create a colorful image of India in the minds of consumers, and has
directly led to an increase in the interest among foreign tourists. This is reflected
in the spurt in global tourist inflows since 2002.

In 2008, the Ministry of Tourism launched a campaign targeted at the local

population to educate them regarding good behavior and etiquette when
dealing with foreign tourists. Indian actor Aamir Khan was commissioned to
endorse the campaign which was titled 'Atithi Devo Bhavah', which aimed at
creating awareness about the effects of tourism and sensitizing the local
population about preservation of India's heritage, culture, cleanliness and
hospitality. The Ministry of Tourism had also launched a "Campaign Clean
India" to sensitize the masses about keeping Indian destinations clean.

In 2009, plans were formulated to extend the Incredible India campaign to

the domestic tourism sector as well. As a result of the various lessons from
the earlier promotional activities, the new and revamped Incredible India
campaign has been launched recently which made a paradigm shift in the
strategy to promote Indian destinations abroad and within with two separate
campaigns. While the international campaign is called "Find what you seek",
the domestic campaign is titled as "Go Beyond". This is explicitly aimed at
doubling the FTA in the next 5 years by targeted promotion of lesser-known
Indian destinations to the world tourists.

According to World Travel and Tourism Council forecasts, India will be a

tourism hotspot from 2009 to 2018, having the highest 10-year growth
potential. The onset of the financial crisis in 2008 delayed the realisation of
this potential, which resumed in 2010. In recognition of the potential and
domestic efforts, India was conferred three awards by the World Travel
Awards organization at the WTM 2012.

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 5

 An additional boost to FTAs is being attempted through the Indian Tourist Visa
on Arrival (T-VoA) initiative, a facilitative measure in place since January 2010.
Visitors to India can now get a single entry T-VoA, valid for a maximum of 30
days, at the international airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. This
facility is available only to visitors from 11 countries. The scheme has been a
huge success and contributed to increase in the number of tourists from these
countries.The Indian Government plans to extend this scheme to visitors from 16
new countries and offer T-VoA visa facilities from five additional airports.

Beyond Incredible India: Marketing and Tourism Initiatives

in Selected States

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, through its 14 offices overseas

endeavors to position India in the tourism generating markets as a preferred
tourism destination, to promote various Indian tourism products vis-à-vis
competition faced from various destinations and to increase India's share of the
global tourism market. In addition, India's governmental bodies have also made
a significant impact in tourism by requiring that each and every state of India
have a corporation to administer support issues related to tourism. Concerted
efforts are being made to make tourism India's main economic and political
agenda taking all state governments, Union territory administrations and
stakeholders on board and establishing India as a round the year destination.
The main initiatives of the State Tourism corporations are targeted marketing
campaigns and promotional activities abroad. These allocations are in addition to
the overseas promotion and publicity undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism.

It is clear that the country's huge, barely tapped, tourism potential is

contingent on simultaneously addressing the multiple challenges thrown up
by capacity constraints (tourism infrastructure) and bridging the
implementation gap of sector policies as well as designing marketing and
promotional campaigns that continue to capture and hold the imagination of
the overseas tourists. The last is no mean task at a time of global economic
slowdown, especially given the stiff competition faced from competing
tourism attractions across the world and in particular the Asia-Pacific region.

6 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

Promoting India as a Tourism Hotspot: Policy Way Forward

The key messages emerging from our discussion in this report and
recommended policy actions to promote FTA inflows in India are:

1) Both the union government and individual states should continue to

focus on innovative marketing campaigns and tourist facilitation
services to remain attractive to the footloose FTAs.

2) To boost inbound foreign tourism, the national government can waive

tourist visa fees in targeted destinations. Also, reimbursement of VAT
on purchases by foreign tourists can help boost inflows from the
South and Southeast Asian sub-regions and even Africa.

3) Improving destination connectivity, wayside amenities and security will

boost word of mouth promotion. Cleanliness and security (in particular for
women) in and around the tourist sites is a key concern for foreign tourists,
and there is an urgent need to improve them. The recent incidences of
assaults on women in India (including foreign tourists) have greatly
damaged India's image and consequently tourism prospects.

4) Standardization of rates and fares will also help boost foreign tourist
confidence vis-à-vis the prevalent feeling of being discriminated against
and cheated. Concerted efforts and strict penal actions must also be
taken to reduce incidents of tout and harassment of tourists in some
places.

5) The high tourist spend per person in India is a welcome feature.

However, in times of slowdown such as now, concerted efforts to offer
value for money will encourage more mid-range and budget travelers to
come to India, thus helping the country to tap a major chunk of foreign
travelers who are now visiting the comparable locales in other
competing countries.

6) Rationalization of the tax structure and licensing regime will help

promote development of quality low-cost and mid-range
accommodation and other tourist services such as transport. This is
particularly critical in the luxury tax for hotels.

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 7

 7) Extending the infrastructure status to 'all' hotels and tourist
accommodation units can also assure development of lower cost
accommodation. Sector experts reckon that hotel tariffs may actually
go down by 2-3 percent if the government agrees to remove the riders
attached to the infrastructure status accorded to the hotel industry
recently.

8) Absence of alternate sites near fair and festival creates a bottleneck

problem in crowd management. Mega festivals like Kumbh mela or
Gangasagar mela should be accorded special attention from the local
administration/civic management bodies and emergency services
providers.

9) Poor Implementation of Legislative Law: Excessive formalities for an

issue of special permit to view restricted areas/heritage sites dampen
tourist interest and hence need to be streamlined.

8 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

 I
Introduction
 Introduction
The launch of Incredible India campaign in the last decade resulted in a
visible spurt in the flow of foreign tourists (or FTAs, a large number being
NRI's travelling on foreign passport) into India, which grew at double digit
rates until the onset of the financial crisis in 2008. The growth trend resumed
after a couple of years of slowdown after 2008, and notwithstanding the FTA
growth rate see-saw in recent times, tourism in India is predicted to grow at
an average annual rate of 7.7 percent in the coming decade. The Indian
tourism sector also benefits from the swelling ranks of Indian middle class, a
group that now considers tourism among the key consumer products, both
abroad and in the country.

Foreign exchange earnings (FEE) from tourism grew by 19.8 percent in

rupee terms in February 2013 as compared to February 2012, while foreign
tourist arrivals (FTAs) showed a growth of 1.6 percent during the same
period. This impressive growth in the exchange earnings per tourist was
realised despite the ongoing slowdown in developed country markets, an
increase in the cost of travelling and a fluctuating exchange rate. Another
plus during the month of February 2013 was that the number of Visa on
Arrival (T-VoA) tourists registered a growth of 54.6 percent as compared to
the T-VoAs issued in the month of February 2012. These are positive signs
for the industry, and indicate significant potential going forward.

This report on India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism: Reigniting Destination

Appeal analyses the volume of tourist flows and experiences in key tourist
destinations in selected states, and outlines the key measures used to boost
tourism by individual states. The report will review existing government
policies on tourism, and endeavor to outline a roadmap to help the country
attain its potential in this important sector of the economy.

102 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

 Performance Indicators and
Policy Initiatives by Government of India II
 Inbound Tourism:
Performance Indicators and

II.1: Performance Indicators (FTA and FEE)

Tourism in India is the largest service industry of the country, and a 2011
forecast of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) predicted that with
an annual growth of 8.8 percent between 2011 and 2021, FTAs will cross 11
million by 2021 (approximately one percent of the global tourist population).
This will have a tremendous impact on the tourism industry and all its allied
sectors. In addition, India has a large medical tourism sector which is
expected to grow at an estimated rate of 30 percent annually, to become a
US$ 2 billion industry by 2015

Chart 1: Foreign Travel into and out of India, 2001-2021

1,600 12

Million
1,400
Constant 2011 INR (Billion)

10
1,200
8
1,000

500 5

600
4
400
2
200

0 0
2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2021

Foreign visitor exports (LHS) – Foreign tourist animals (RHS)

12 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

Chart 2: FTA growth and inflows, 2010-12

Plummeting Growth

6.8
13.0 6.65 14
6.6 12
6.30
6.4 10

6.0 9.30 8

405.
5.8 5.58 6
.6
4
5.4
5.2 2
5.0 0
2010 2011 2012

Foreign tourists arrivals in mn (RHS) Growth in % (RHS)

Source: Ministry of Tourism, GOI

The onset of the financial crisis in 2008 brought a major disruption in the
Indian tourism sector's steady performance in the years preceding it.
However, although the FTA growth rate fell in certain years since the crisis
including in 2012 (see Chart 2 and Table 1), in absolute numbers the tourist
inflow has grown every year except in 2009, the only year of de-growth. The
month-wise data reported in the India Tourism Statistics 2011 at a Glance,
published by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), also shows a steady rise in FTA
inflows every month in 2012 over the previous two years, even in the high-
traffic months Jan-Mar and Oct-Dec. This has been boosted by the steady
rise in VoAs in the country. During the period January-February 2013, a total
number of 3,637 VoAs were issued as compared to 2,618 VoAs during
corresponding period of 2012, registering a positive growth of 38.9 percent.

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 13

 Table 1: Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India, 2002-2012

FTAs in India Percentage change

Year (in million) over previous year

2002 2.38 -6.0

2003 2.73 14.3
2004 3.46 26.8
2005 3.92 13.3
2006 4.45 13.5
2007 5.08 14.3
2008 5.28 4.0
2009 5.17 -2.2
2010 5.58 9.3
2011 6.30 13.0
2012 6.65 5.4
Source: Bureau of Immigration and Ministry of Tourism, GOI

Table 2: Foreign Exchange Earnings from Tourism in India, 2002-2012

FEE from Tourism Percentage change

Year in India over previous year
(in US $ million)
2002 3103 -3.0
2003 4463 43.8
2004 6170 38.2
2005 7493 21.4
2006 8634 15.2
2007 10729 24.3
2008 11832 10.3
2009 11136 -5.9
2010 * 14193 27.5
2011 * 16564 16.7
2012 (Jan-Jun)* 8455 8.2 @
Source: RBI and Ministry of Tourism, GOI;
Note: * advance estimates, @ growth rate over Jan-Jun 2011

14 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

Similarly, the FEE growth rates reported in Table 2 also show double digit
positive growth every year except in 2009. As noted earlier, growth in the foreign
exchange earnings per tourist in the first few months of 2013 has also been
impressive; foreign tourists tend to spend more in India than almost any other
country worldwide, as India continues to attract relatively more business
travelers and top-end holidaymakers compared to other countries in the region.

II.2: Source country breakup and Foreign Tourist Preferences

In 2011, India's share in international tourist flows was 0.64 percent of world
travelers (India's share in the international tourism receipts was relatively
higher at 1.61 percent in 2011), and 2.9 percent of travelers from Asia-Pacific
(share in tourism receipts being 5.72 percent). All these shares have been
steadily rising since 2002, and were not significantly affected by the 2008
financial crisis. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report of 2012 by
the World Economic Forum ranks India 12th in the Asia-Pacific Region and
68th globally; the report is very bullish on India's tourism growth outlook.

The rising FTA flows is clearly a function of the stellar growth performance of
the Indian economy in the new century. An important outcome of the rising
economic growth in India has been that MICE has emerged as one of the
major tourism products, along with pilgrimage travel and health tourism, and
is one of the reasons why India is considered to be one of the most
promising markets in tourism in the near future. These sectors show a lot of
potential in the coming years. Hence, the recent revival in the prospects of
the Indian economy and the stabilization of the economies of US and Europe
do offer further reason for hope. This is because more than one-third of
foreign tourists into India come from USA, UK and mainland Europe.

The breakup of source country for FTA origin for 2011 indicate that US led
with a 16 percent share in total FTA arrivals, followed by UK (12.57 percent),
Bangladesh (6.34 percent), Sri Lanka (4.85 percent), and Canada (4.05
percent). The top 10 source countries accounted for 61 percent of the total
tourist flows in the year, according to data from Bureau of Immigration, GOI.

In 2011, travel for leisure, recreation and holidays accounted for just over half of
all international tourist arrivals (51 percent or 505 million arrivals). However, for

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 15

 India, more FTAs report travelling for business and professional purposes
and for other purposes, such as visiting friends and relatives (VFR), religious
reasons and pilgrimages, health treatment etc. For the holiday makers,
heritage and culture of the country/tourist location are the pre-dominant
factors for consideration prior to their visit to India.

Of the different states, Maharashtra (24.7 percent), Tamil Nadu (17.3 percent), Delhi
(11.1 percent), Uttar Pradesh (9.7 percent) and Rajasthan (6.9 percent) were the top
five states to receive inbound foreign tourists in 2011, accounting for nearly 70
percent of FTAs; West Bengal followed closely with 6.2 percent FTA traffic in 2011.
The majority of foreign tourists visiting India are individual travellers (primarily
business visitors), religious travelers and medical tourists; this is clearly evident from
the high share of key business zones, religious sites and high-end medical facilities
available in the country as represented in the top 10 Indian states that attracted over
90 percent of the FTAs in 2011 (see Table 3).

Table 3: Share of Top 10 States/UTs in Foreign Tourist Visits, 2011 (P)

No. of Tourists
Rank State/UT Share (%)
(in millions)

1 Maharashtra 4.81 24.7

2 Tamil Nadu 3.37 17.3
3 Delhi 2.16 11.1
4 Uttar Pradesh 1.89 9.7
5 Rajasthan 1.35 6.9
6 West Bengal 1.21 6.2
7 Bihar 0.97 5.0
8 Kerala 0.73 3.8
9 Karnataka 0.57 2.9
10 Himachal Pradesh 0.48 2.5
Total Top 10 17.56 90.1
Others 1.93 9.9
Grand Total 19.49 100.0

Source: India Tourism Statistics at a Glance, 2011, Ministry of Tourism, GOI

16 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

II.3: GOI Initiatives and Marketing Campaigns

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has played an important role in

the development of the industry, initiating advertising campaigns such as the
Incredible India campaign, which promoted India's culture and tourist
attractions in a fresh and memorable way projecting India as an attractive
tourist destination by showcasing different aspects of Indian culture and
history like yoga, spirituality, etc. The campaign, launched in 2002 to
encourage visitors from around the world to experience India helped create a
colorful image of India in the minds of consumers, and has directly led to an
increase in the interest among foreign tourists. This is reflected in the spurt in
global tourist inflows since 2002.

In 2008, the Ministry of Tourism launched a campaign targeted at the local

population to educate them regarding good behavior and etiquette when
dealing with foreign tourists. Indian actor Aamir Khan was commissioned to
endorse the campaign which was titled 'Atithi Devo Bhavah', which aimed at
creating awareness about the effects of tourism and sensitizing the local
population about preservation of India's heritage, culture, cleanliness and
hospitality. The Atithi Devo Bhavah is a seven point programme of hospitality
and training, and it attempted to re-instill a sense of responsibility towards
tourists and re-enforce the confidence of foreign tourists towards India as a
preferred holiday destination. The concept was designed to complement the
Incredible India Campaign. The Ministry of Tourism had also launched a
"Campaign Clean India" to sensitize the masses about keeping Indian
destinations clean.

In 2009, plans were formulated to extend the Incredible India campaign to

the domestic tourism sector as well. As a result of the various lessons from
the earlier promotional activities, the new and revamped Incredible India
campaign has been launched recently which made a paradigm shift in the
strategy to promote Indian destinations abroad and within with two separate
campaigns. While the international campaign is called "Find what you seek",
the domestic campaign is titled as "Go Beyond". India's Tourism Minister
Chiranjeevi said at the World Tourism Mart (WTM) in London last year that
the new campaign tries to take the Incredible India campaign to the next
level with shifting focus from products to consumers1. This is explicitly aimed
at doubling the FTA in the next 5 years by targeted promotion of lesser-
known Indian destinations to the world tourists.

According to World Travel and Tourism Council forecasts, India will be a tourism
hotspot from 2009 to 2018, having the highest 10-year growth potential. The
1
New Incredible India Campaign Looks to Woo Foreigners, Nov 21, 2012, PTI,
http://www.indiawest.com/news/7603-new-incredible-india-campaign-looks-to-woo-foreigners.html

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 17

 onset of the financial crisis in 2008 delayed the realisation of this potential, which
resumed in 2010. In recognition of the potential and domestic efforts, India was
conferred three awards by the World Travel Awards organization at the WTM
2012. The three awards were "Asia's leading destination", "Asia's leading tourist
attraction - Taj Mahal" and "Asia's leading Tourist Board." The government has
also made additional provisions to promote creation of supporting tourism
infrastructure in the 12th Five Year Plan, including provisioning for the projected
accommodation to be demanded (Table 4). The implementation of the National
Tourism Plan, 2002 has already intensified the infrastructure development
through better design and monitoring of the incentive schemes.

Table 4: Projected number of Accommodation Units to be demanded

– March 2022
4 Star
Unclassified
Region upwards 1 – 3 Star Motels
Units
Hotels
East 119 99 5545 15255
North 707 289 27456 26298
South 1235 3527 19830 20257
West 378 859 107543 19418
North East 17 141 1603 11029
All India 2457 4916 161977 92257
Source: Market Pulse Study to Assess the Requirement of Manpower in Hospitality and
Travel Trade Sector, Ministry of Tourism (MoT), 2012

An additional boost to FTAs is being attempted through the Indian Tourist

Visa on Arrival (T-VoA) initiative, a facilitative measure in place since
January 2010. Visitors to India can now get a single entry T-VoA, valid for a
maximum of 30 days, at the international airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai,
and Kolkata. This facility is available only to visitors from the following 11
countries, namely, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Finland, Luxembourg, New
Zealand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Indonesia. The scheme
has been a huge success and contributed to increase in the number of
tourists from these countries.The Indian Government plans to extend this
scheme to visitors from 16 new countries, namely, Germany, France, Spain,
Poland, Sweden and Norway in Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and
Kazakhstan in the Commonwealth of Independent States region, Brazil,
South Africa, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, and Trinidad and Tobago. There is
also a plan to offer T-VoA visa facilities at five additional airports: Goa,
Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Bangalore (Bengaluru).

18 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

Marketing and Tourism Initiatives in
Selected States III
 Beyond Incredible India
Marketing and Tourism Initiatives in
Selected States
The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, through its 14 offices
overseas endeavors to position India in the tourism generating markets as a
preferred tourism destination, to promote various Indian tourism products vis-
à-vis competition faced from various destinations and to increase India's
share of the global tourism market. The above objectives are met through an
integrated marketing and promotional strategy and a synergized campaign in
association with the Travel Trade, State Governments and Indian Missions.
The specific elements of promotional efforts undertaken overseas include
Advertising in the Print and Electronic Media, Participation in Fairs &
Exhibitions, Organizing Seminars, Workshops, Road Shows and India
Evenings, Printing of Brochures and Collaterals, Brochure Support/Joint
Advertising with Travel Agents /Tour Operators, Inviting the Media and
Travel Trade to visit the country under the Hospitality Programme etc.

In addition, India's governmental bodies have also made a significant impact

in tourism by requiring that each and every state of India have a corporation
to administer support issues related to tourism. Concerted efforts are being
made to make tourism India's main economic and political agenda taking all
state governments, Union territory administrations and stakeholders on
board and establishing India as a round the year destination. The main
initiatives of the State Tourism corporations are towards targeted marketing
campaigns and promotional activities abroad. These allocations are in
addition to the overseas promotion and publicity undertaken by the Ministry
of Tourism, which totalled Rs. 1010 crores in the 11th Plan period and has
been budgeted at Rs. 3000 crores in the 12th Plan.

It must be noted that the major tourist attraction in States like Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh are the holy pilgrimage sites in these states,
which highlights the importance of pilgrimage tourism in India. However, there
also exist other states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and
Karnataka that have invested in tourism infrastructure creation in the state, and

20 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

have thus garnered the attention of the non-pilgrim tourists. Madhya Pradesh
became one of the top 10 tourist destinations in 2008 by virtue of having taken
concerted policy measures to promote leisure and adventure tourism facilities in
the State. But most significant in terms of tourist inflow are the states of
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi-NCR, all three attracting large numbers of
business visitors being major industrial hubs of India, with the last having
additional attraction as the seat of power of the Union government.

The key areas of investment in these states have been:

• Promotion of state tourism in national and international forums
• Transport infrastructure in terms of road and transport connectivity
• Developing new tourist destinations in the state
• Establishing good quality hotels and restaurants
• Providing better facilities at tourist sites in terms of wayside amenities,
and other tourist infrastructure
• Effective implementation of the infrastructure development incentive
policies, etc.

The rest of this section highlights the key tourist initiatives and physical
infrastructure for tourism in selected States in India, chosen on the basis of
their performance as popular tourist destinations and policy thrust from the
state governments.

III.1 Gujarat

With Aavo Padharo, words of welcome in Gujarati, the state government

encourages the tourists to discover centuries of history spanning the
geological core of the earth onto a fascinatingly vibrant future via its eight
tourism hubs created in strategic locations across the state. These hubs are
well equipped with the modern infrastructure, facilities and services in the
areas of commerce, communication, connectivity, hospitality, transportation,
medical facilities etc.

Gujarat is unique in its geological and topographical landscape, from volcanic

outpourings through bedrock to fossil fields of indigenous dinosaurs; from the

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 21

 art of the neolithic cave painter to the stone masterpieces of a series of civilized
architecture. In addition Gujarat has ancient cave paintings to historic murals,
natural and manmade caves, and art, history, music, culture, all dovetailing with
each other to form a wondrous matrix that is the cultural exuberance of the
people of the state. The "Khushboo Gujarat Ki" campaign by brand-ambassador
Amitabh Bachchan has increased tourism in Gujarat by 14 percent per annum.
Gujarat Tourism is eyeing a 25 percent growth in tourist arrivals to touch 25
million in the new financial year. Almost 2 percent of tourists in Gujarat are
international tourists (higher than the 1 percent figure for India); moreover, the
international tourist arrival to Gujarat is growing at a CAGR of over 45 percent.

The tourism state department also uses a very dynamic official website to
showcase the different attractions and the colorful mystics of the state. The
website also offers online booking facilities for the tour packages,
accommodation and transportation facilities offered by the Tourism Corporation
of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) as well as private tour operators. The state offers its
tourists excellent physical infrastructure, provided by the Gujarat Infrastructure
Development Board (GIDB) which has identified a shelf of projects and
investments required and implemented on a priority basis. Apart from improving
the infrastructure and amenities in the established spots around the state, the
state's new tourism aims at promoting private investments in a host of new
destinations, including the vast coastline.

The cultural mix enhanced with over 4500 years of history has endowed
Gujarat with some of the greatest historical and archaeological monuments.
While Lothal offers an unparalleled insight into the Harappan civilization,
Ahmedabad has specimens of Indo-Sarcenic architecture, Palitana has a
profusion of temples in the Jain style, Junagadh displays Buddhist caves and
Rajput architecture appears all over different parts of Gujarat. A major
Tourist destination of immense potential, it's historical monuments represent
the great religions of Asia – Hindu, Buddhism, Jain, Islam, Parsi and Sikh.

The Royal Orient Train is an Indian luxury tourism train that runs between Gujarat
and Rajasthan, covering important tourist locations in the two states, and is a key
attraction for foreign tourists. The state also celebrates unique festivals like "Navratri
Festival", "Global Garba" (October–November, all over the state), "Kite Festival
(Makar Sankranti, 11–15 January, Ahmedabad), "Kankaria Carnival"

22 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

(25–31 December, Ahmedabad), "Rann Utsav" (November–December,
Kutch), "Modhera Dance Festival" (3rd week January, Modhera) and fairs
like Tarnetar Fair (August, Tarnetar) and Vautha Mela (November, Vautha).
The state government also organizes day long tours of Saputara, the Dang
Tribal Tour and the Monsoon Dang Tour. These act as seasonal tourist
attractions which encourage tourists to return year after year. Another
initiative of the State tourism department is promoting sites in the forests of
southern Gujarat associated with Lord Rama, as has been done in Sri Lanka
and India's southern states. Ramayana Trail is a project that aims to boost
religious tourism in southern Gujarat. To develop the sites on the trail,
Government of Gujarat is developing facilities like parking, access road,
walking path, entrance gateway, visitor galleries and stepped gardens.

III.2 Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh has emerged as one of the major tourist states in the
country; being centrally located, it is easily accessible from all major Indian
cities and entry points. Bursting into the Indian tourism scene in 2008, the
State has shown how leisure and adventure (especially 'tiger') tourism can be
made economically attractive and a major source of popular demand through
appropriate policy interventions and smart marketing campaigns. With the
better facilities being provided at various tourist destinations in Madhya
Pradesh, the number of all kinds of tourists (domestic as well as foreign
tourists), including religious tourists has gone up constantly in the last four
years.

The state promotional campaign has very effectively used TV commercials to

promote its tourism potential to foreign as well as domestic tourists. In 2006,
Madhya Pradesh Tourism had released an ad called "Bioscope", which
presented shots of the attractions of the state, apparently viewed through a
bioscope. After three years, another ad made use of "eyes" as the creative route
to express the awe travellers experience in Madhya Pradesh. The eyes narrate
the journey of the traveller and are complimented by a poetic song in the
background. When the narration in the background is about sights one would
see from a train, the model's pupils become the wheel of the train, or if the
narrative speaks of an antelope, the model's eyebrows take the shape of its
horns. Similarly, in the pool of her eyes, the viewer gets to see the intricacies of

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 23

 the Sanchi stupa. Interestingly, the first ad invited tourists to come and 'see'
Madhya Pradesh, while the second ad narrates the tourist's tale after he has
visited the place. The creative idea for the new ad was, quite literally, taken
from the word 'sightseeing'.

The state Government has identified the tourism sector as one of the key
areas for growth. Around 31 percent of the state is under forest cover with
abundant natural resources. Because of its forest cover, the State has
immense potential for leisure tourism, particularly, wild-life and adventure
tourism and eco tourism. In June 2012, Forest Minister Shri Sartaj Singh
launched eco-tour package “Jungle Caravan”. Under the eco-tour package,
groups of tourists are taken on tour of tourist spots in and around Bhopal on
weekends and holiday in a mini tourist bus. These places include Kerwa,
Van Vihar, Samardha, Kathotiya and Chidikho. During the visits, tourists are
also made aware of conservation of nature. In addition, the State
government has shortlisted 18 major centres, which attract a large number of
domestic and foreign tourists, for comprehensive development.

Madhya Pradesh also has globally renowned locations of historical and religious
significance. A number of festivals such as All India Kalidasa Festival, Tansen
Samaroh (Gwalior), Lokranjan and Khajuraho Dance Festival (Khajuraho) are
celebrated in the state, which attracts tourists. Major places of tourist interest in
Madhya Pradesh include: (i) Kanha: One of the largest wild-life sanctuary in
Asia; (ii) Khajuraho: Has some of the most famous sculptures in the world; (iii)
Bhimbetka: Has the oldest cave paintings in the world; (iv) Sanchi: Houses the
oldest Buddhist Stupa in the world. Furthermore, the government of Madhya
Pradesh has created an inventory of forts/palaces to be converted into heritage
hotels to attract high-end foreign tourists.

The tourism department officials are also brainstorming to formulate special

tour packages and promotional activities for Bhagoria Haat, the famous
festival of aboriginal Bhils and Bhilalas, celebrated in the district of Jhabua
and some parts of West Nimar, and which takes place on market days a
week before Holi. The Bhagoria haat also coincides with the completion of
harvesting, adding to it the dimension of being an agricultural festival as well.

24 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

III.3 Maharashtra

As the commercial capital of India, Mumbai draws more than its fair share of
business travelers. This makes it one of the most visited states in India, in
turn making Maharashtra a tourism hot-spot too. Mumbai receives about 35
percent of the foreign tourist arrivals in India. It is also estimated that about
70 percent of tourists from the South-East Asian countries regard Mumbai as
a gateway city while visiting India. Maharashtra can thus easily tap this
captive base of visitors and increase its tourism potential.

The state has a well-developed social, physical and industrial infrastructure. The
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (MTDC) in association with
Indian Railways and Ministry of Tourism has been running a Super Deluxe luxury
train "The Deccan Odyssey" since 2004. The journey traces a 7-day heritage
tour through the kingdom of the Marathas, taking in the shrines, cultures and the
heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora, pilgrim places at Nashik, and the bustling
cities of Mumbai, Goa, Kolhapur and Aurangabad in the State.

Given that the State naturally attracts a large number of business tourists,
Maharashtra's Tourism Policy, 2006 is undergoing a process of revision to
capitalise on the captive visitor base. At the present moment, conservation
and tourism development of three heritage sites (Ajanta, Ellora and
Elephanta) are covered under external funding, while special attention is
being given to the newly declared site - Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria
Terminus); a detailed conservation and tourism plan is being prepared to
showcase it as one of Mumbai's major heritage tourist attractions. MTDC has
introduced a City tour of Mumbai by the Nilambari Open Deck Bus.

The state celebrates many festivals that are great tourist attractions, the
most famous being Ganesh Chaturthi. The state tourism department is also
making use of the development in IT sector in the state and offers online
booking facilities for its tours (especially the Deccan Odyssey) and
reservations in the MTDC hotels and resorts in key tourist destinations.
Improving access to and tourist facilities in various weekend destinations
(hill-stations, beaches, etc.) near major cities in Maharashtra is being given
preference to further promote leisure tourism in the state.

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 25

 III.4 Karnataka

Karnataka boasts rich heritage and glorious culture with magnificent

monuments, temples and palaces. In addition, it's towering hills and exciting
wild life; numerous pilgrimage sites; 320-km long coastline with bewitching
white sand beaches; and endless opportunities for the growth of medical,
health, wellness, and luxury tourism make it a ideal tourist destination.

The state's tourist inflow has increased by 236 percent from 25.2 million in 2005
to 84.6-million in 2011, while a 63 percent increase is anticipated in foreign
exchange earnings in the current decade, from US$ 104.1 million in 2010 to US$
169.5 million in 2020. The state attracts a wide variety of tourists: religious (41
percent), heritage (24 percent), eco-tourism (8 percent), leisure tourism (8
percent), coastal tourism (8 percent), adventure tourism (6 percent), wellness
tourism (4 percent) and medical tourism (1 percent). The Karnataka Tourism
Policy 2009-14 aims to make Karnataka amongst the top two tourist destinations
in India by 2016-17. The new Policy has been planned to attract more tourism
traffic to the state with help of targeted investment in tourism and promotional
activities and ad campaigns in India and abroad.

The State is popular for its world famous heritage sites, namely Hampi,
Aihole-Pattadakalu, Badami rock caves, Mysore Palace, among many
others; the state (known as “Cradle of Stone Architecture”) has the second-
highest number of protected monuments in the country, 507 centrally and
additional 750 protected by the State Government. The Golden Chariot is the
first and only luxury train of South India introduced by Karnataka Tourism
Department connecting Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Goa
includes visits to heritage sites, cultural shows, safaris and shopping; it is
rated one of the best 7 journeys in the world by Vanity Fair magazine.

In addition, the wild life sanctuaries (the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary 5 km from
Srirangapatna which is itself a well known tourist center), hill stations, the Jog
falls and other waterfalls, beach resorts, the monolithic statue of
Gommateshwara at Sharavanabelagola, Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur etc are some of
the key attractions that the Karnataka state holds out to the visitors. Among the
state's eco-tourism offerings are Hill Stations and coffee plantations in Coorg,
Chikmagalur, Kemmangundi, Nandi Hills; Dense forests across Chamrajnagar,

26 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

Coorg, Hassan, Shimoga, and coastal Districts; Trekking trails and nature
reserves across Western Ghat range; and 5 national parks, 26 wildlife
sanctuaries, pelicanries, heronries, and elephant camps. Numerous forms of
folk dances and folklore, such as Akshidana, Dol lokuntha, Pujakuntha, etc
are among the other unique cultural attractions offered by the state.

III.5 Odisha

Odisha (formerly Orissa), is a mystical land filled with awe inspiring ancient
monuments and various archaeological finds, including the world heritage
site of the Konark Sun temple monuments, treasure-trove of art and crafts,
numerous wildlife sanctuaries, stunning natural landscapes ranging from
breathtaking beaches and lakes to some of the most beautiful forests in the
country. Odisha has the third largest concentration of tribals in India, forming
one-fourth of its total population. Bhubaneswar, the capital city of the state, is
known as the temple city of India and is home to about 500 temples;
consequently the state celebrates many religious festivals. The Konark Sun
temple and the Rath Jatra - the Festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannatha at
Puri are two of the State's most popular attractions.

Odisha Tourism organizes the following festivals such as: The Konark
Festival, International Sand Art Festival.Toshali National Craft Mela, Dhauli-
Kalinga Festival, Muketeswar Dance Festival, Rajarani Music Festival,
Gotipua Dance Festival, International Odissi Dance Festival, Odissi Music
Festival, Samrachana Festival, Guru Kelu Charana Mohapatra Award
Festival, Lokamahotsav Sambalpur, Parab (Tribal Festival) at Koraput,
Mondei at Nabarangapur, Beach Festival at Puri, Chandipur and Gopalpur,
Chhau Festival at Baripada, Balangir and Kalahandi Mahotsav, Konark
Dance and Music Festival at Konark, World Tourism Day Celebration,
Satkosia Festival, Dhanuyatra (Bargarh) etc.

During 2011-12 the tourist arrival to the state was 85 lakhs against 78 lakhs in
2010-11. There has been a steady increase in tourist arrival in the State due to
regular and extensive marketing and promotion. More importantly, FTA into
Odisha has been growing at double digit year-on-year rates since 2010, with
2011-12 growth rates at over 18 percent. The golden triangle of Bhubaneshwar-
Konark-Puri attracts 80 percent of the tourists visiting the state.

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 27

 Among Odisha's special attractions is the 13 day long Toshali National Crafts
Mela which is held in the temple city of Bhubaneswar, and is a unique showcase
of the spirit of rural India. This event provides a huge platform for various
talented artists, painters, weavers, sculptors and craftsmen from around the
country as well as other SAARC nations to display their creativity, and is a key
attraction for foreign tourists. An ambience resembling the typical setting of
Indian Rural Haat is created to infuse life into this unique concept.

To market the unique bio-diversity and ecological treasure of the state, the
Government is drafting an eco-tourism policy which will sell Brand Orissa
(Scenic, Serene, Sublime) through responsible marketing of sustainable
tourism and form partnerships with various stake-holders, mostly local
communities. The Forest and Environment Department, which is mandated
with promotion of eco-tourism in the State, has proposed in the draft policy
that an Orissa Eco-tourism Development Board (OEDB) be constituted to act
as the nodal agency for promotion of tourism in the state.

III.6 Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is located at the foothills of the Himalayan mountain ranges

ranges, it is largely a hilly State, having international boundaries with China
(Tibet) in the north and Nepal in the east. The State, formerly named
Uttaranchal, was formed in November 2000 by carving out the 13 hill-districts
of Uttar Pradesh, and is thus a natural eco and adventure tourist destination.
In 2011, 26.66 million domestic tourists and 143,000 international tourists
visited the state. According to the statistics available, the share of
Uttarakhand to the total tourist in India (domestic tourist) has increased in
past few years while in case of foreign tourist, the share is almost stagnant.

The peak season for tourist inflow in the state is between June to August for
both Domestic as well as Foreign tourist. According to a survey by Tourism
Ministry, the average expenditure per visitor per day is around Rs. 762 at the
overall level. The approximate figure for the domestic overnight visitor is Rs.
758 while that for the foreign overnight visitor is Rs. 798, respectively.

28 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

Other than religious tourism (the State is home to sacred places like
Haridwar and the Char-Dhams in the country), eco tourism and adventure
tourism are the main stays of tourism in the State. Tourism and wellness
attractions in the state include:
Facilities for spiritual lessons, reiki and other rejuvenating courses,
Eco-tourism hotels, spa, resorts, amusement parks and ropeways,
Wild Life (various Sanctuaries and National Parks), Winter sports
at locations such as Auly,
Adventure tourism such as high-altitude trekking, rock climbing, paragliding
etc, and

Water sports as kayaking and river rafting.

The State of Uttarakhand offers immense opportunities for development of

vast array of tourism related activities and services. A detailed tourism policy
has also been formulated. Uttarakhand is the first state in the country to have
created a Tourism Development Board by legislation as the highest body to
function as a promoter, adviser, regulator and licensing authority for tourism
in the state.

Another significant step considered under its Tourism Policy is developing

the manifold tourism-related resources of the state in an eco-friendly manner,
with the active participation of the private sector and the local host
communities. Since mid-2009, the state has commenced marketing
campaigns for Rural Tourism projects in the state. 13 such Rural Tourism
projects aim at developing community-oriented tourism in the state to boost
the overall improvement of the identified area, as well as contribute to the
livelihood of the people in the area.

III.7 Goa

Variously known as "Pearl of the Orient" and a "Tourist Paradise", the state of Goa is
located on the western coast of India in the coastal belt known as Konkan. A blend of
Eastern and Western culture, friendly and hospitable people and the common use of
English as a prominent language make Goa a veritable tourist paradise. The
magnificent scenic beauty and the architectural splendours of its

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 29

 temples, churches, old houses and cultural diversity have made Goa a firm
favourite with travellers around the world.

Tourism is a key economic activity of Goa, has contributed substantially to

the economic development of the state in terms of employment generation
and a key foreign exchange earner. Tourism is the largest segment in the
services sector; the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) is
responsible for promoting tourism in the state. The innovative marketing
strategies to project Goa as an all-time leisure destination have resulted in
higher tourist inflows over the years. In 2011, the state received almost 2.67
million tourists, of which 445,935 were foreign tourists.

Goa has several beaches such as Anjuna, Dona Paula, Calangute, Baga,
Colva, Palolem, Candolim and Vagator. Other popular destinations are cities
like Panjim, Margaon, Vasco da Gama and Old Goa; waterfalls & lakes such
as the magnificent Dudhsagar Waterfall in the Western Ghats, the spring at
Kesarval is located 22 kms away from Panaji, the Harvalem (Arvalem) Caves
and Waterfalls, and Mayem Lake; and special festivities such as the Shigmo
Float Parade (during Easter) and The Goa River Marathon.

Goa is also famous for its rich Portuguese heritage, both in architecture as well
as cuisine. There are quite a few old Portuguese forts dotted around Goa, most
of them on the coast. Goa has several imposing forts, though most of them lie in
ruins today. Goan forts are very small in size; nonetheless, these are historic
specimen of immense military, political and economic importance in a land
crisscrossed by rivers and canals and bordered by sea on the west. Some are
awesome in sheer size like the Ruins of the St. Augustine's Tower, while others
are marvellous pieces of architecture, such as the Gate of the Adil Shah's
Palace at Old Goa and the Chapel of St. Sebastian. The other notable legacy of
the long period of Portuguese colonization is the heritage houses and traditional
mansions of the Portuguese-Goan gentry.

III.8 West Bengal

West Bengal has been the traditional entry point to Eastern India, the Northeast
and the land-locked countries of Nepal and Bhutan, which are easily accessible
from the State. This geographical advantage perhaps explains in a large way

30 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

why WB consistently figures among the highest foreign tourist attractions in
India. It is also home to two of India's major religious events, the annual
Gangasagar mela and the world famous Iskon festival at Mayapur. It is
therefore not surprising that WB accounted for over 6 percent of the foreign
tourists visiting India in 2011.

West Bengal is a key tourist destination for both domestic and foreign tourists
also because of the attraction of the Darjeeling hills (and further access into
Sikkim with its natural beauty and old Tibetan monasteries), the Darjeeling
Himalayan Railway which is a World Heritage Site, the vast tea estates of the
Dooars, the old British-India heritages of the capital city Kolkata, Rabindranath
Tagore's garden-university at Shantiniketan, the deltaic mangrove-forests of
Sundarban's and other wildlife sanctuaries, and the different religious sites in the
State. One of the largest cities of India, Kolkata, is the cultural capital of the
country and the centre of the Bengal Renaissance; Kolkata has for the longest
time been the primary commercial hub of eastern India.

The West Bengal tourism development presently follows the Tourism Policy
of 2008, which aims:
To develop a portfolio of tourism products by utilizing its unique
ecological, historical, cultural, religious, wildlife, sports, shopping,
health care, educational and human assets.
To facilitate tourism by all segments, particularly the middle and lower
income tourists, by making the tourist spots in the State more easily
accessible through single-window facility at the State capital and at
the district headquarters and on the internet.

The West Bengal government is currently preparing to unveil a comprehensive

'Tourism Policy', “with a major thrust on creating a separate brand for West
Bengal”.The state has begun its Beautiful Bengal campaign to sensitize tourists
about the many attractions of the state, namely Hill Tourism in Darjeeling and
Dooars, Ecotourism in Sunderbans, River Tourism, Kolkata Heritage Tourism,
Beach Tourism along the coastline, etc. The state tourism department also hosts
Tagore Literary Festival, Kolkata; Urban Heritage Conservation Festival, Kolkata;
Tea Tourism Festival, Darjeeling; Hazarduall Utsav, Murshidabad; Digha
Festival; Bishnupur Festival; and Music Festival, Darjeeling.

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 31

 The State has taken the Kolkata/Hooghly Riverfront Development as a priority
for development as a major tourist attraction, which is being readied for
implementation. In addition to existing tourist destinations, the state is taking
special care to develop tourism in North Bengal, Digha and Sundarbans in a
customised way. The State government is also finalizing plans to further develop
a 'Buddhist Trail' so as to attract more foreign tourists in the state; among other
things the proposal included a 10-day trip to cover this circuit by a state-of-the-
art train like 'Palace on Wheels' twice a month.

32 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

Promoting India as a
Tourism Hotspot:
Policy Way Forward III
 Promoting India as a Tourism
Hotspot: Policy Way Forward
It is clear that the country's huge, barely tapped, tourism potential is
contingent on simultaneously addressing the multiple challenges thrown up
by capacity constraints (tourism infrastructure) and bridging the
implementation gap of sector policies, as well as designing marketing and
promotional campaigns (including modern IT-enabled tourist facilitation
services) that continue to capture and hold the imagination of the overseas
tourists. The last is no mean task at a time of global economic slowdown,
especially given the stiff competition faced from competing tourism
attractions across the world and in particular the Asia-Pacific region.

The key messages emerging from our discussion above and recommended
policy actions to promote FTA inflows in India are:

1) Both the union government and individual states should continue to

focus on innovative marketing campaigns and tourist facilitation
services to remain attractive to the footloose FTAs.

2) To boost inbound foreign tourism, the national government can waive

tourist visa fees in targeted destinations. Also, reimbursement of
VAT on purchases by foreign tourists can help boost inflows from
the South and Southeast Asian sub-regions and even Africa.

3) Improving destination connectivity, wayside amenities and security

will boost word of mouth promotion. Cleanliness and security (in
particular for women) in and around the tourist sites is a key concern
for foreign tourists, and there is an urgent need to improve them. The
recent incidences of assaults on women in India (including foreign
tourists) have greatly damaged India's image and consequently
tourism prospects.

34 India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism

4) Standardization of rates and fares will also help boost foreign tourist
confidence vis-à-vis the prevalent feeling of being discriminated
against and cheated. Concerted efforts and strict penal actions must
also be taken to reduce incidents of tout and harassment of tourists
in some places.

5) The high tourist spend per person in India is a welcome feature.

However, in times of slowdown such as now, concerted efforts to
offer value for money will encourage more mid-range and budget
travelers to come to India, thus helping the country to tap a major
chunk of foreign travelers who are now visiting the comparable
locales in other competing countries.

6) Rationalization of the tax structure and licensing regime will help

promote development of quality low-cost and mid-range
accommodation and other tourist services such as transport. This is
particularly critical in the luxury tax for hotels.

7) Extending the infrastructure status to 'all' hotels and tourist

accommodation units can also assure development of lower cost
accommodation. Sector experts reckon that hotel tariffs may actually
go down by 2-3 percent if the government agrees to remove the
riders attached to the infrastructure status accorded to the hotel
industry recently.

8) Absence of alternate sites near fair and festival creates a bottleneck

problem in crowd management. Mega festivals like Kumbh mela or
Gangasagar mela should be accorded special attention from the
local administration/civic management bodies and emergency
services providers.

9) Poor Implementation of Legislative Law: Excessive formalities for an

issue of special permit to view restricted areas/heritage sites dampen
tourist interest and hence need to be streamlined.

India as a Hotspot for Inbound Tourism 35

Notes
Rahul Chakravarty
Director, FICCI
Federation House 1, Tansen Marg,
New Delhi 110001
Tel: 91-11-23311720-Direct/ 23738760-70 (Ext.342)
Fax: 91-11-23765333
Email: [email protected]