Can tourism be a game changer for India?

“Atithi Devo Bhavah”

                (Guest is God)
This statement has been the motto for India’s tourism campaign. There is a reason behind it. The potential tourism holds, when utilized, can solve many problems of India – education, health, heritage, and environment conservation, economy, etc. Therefore, it has powers similar to God, the one who can solve many ills.

In this essay, we will look into various spheres where tourism can be a game changer. Then we will look at various challenges it is facing and how to overcome them. But before that, we need to understand what tourism means.

Tourism is a mechanism in which a place visits a new place for a certain purpose such as aesthetics, to utilize leisure time, to understand a foreign culture, etc. This definition has been modified due to various developments of the past and present.

In the past, various Chinese and Arab tourists came to India. Their accounts and experiences show the social setup in India at that time. For instance, at the time of Harsha, Huen Tsang observed good infrastructures, appreciable law and order, and religious tolerance. Their accounts are invaluable to India as they have been referred to by many contemporary historians. Huen Tsang’s visits led to the propagation of Buddhism in East Asia.

Today in the 21st century, India is strengthening its relations with East Asia on these cultural lines also. The celebration of Buddhist festivals with Japan and ASEAN countries is testimony to it. Thus, tourism of the past helped India in the past, it is helping in the present, and could be a game changer in the future.

Tourism is the third-largest contributor to GDP from the service sector, according to the Economic Survey. Thus, it has great potential to fuel economic growth in India. Economic growth is invariably related to other aspects of growth such as social growth. And if this aspect is explored to the fullest, many socio-economic problems such as unemployment and underemployment can be solved.

In fact, tourism has a domino effect on many industries like aviation, hospitality, hotels, etc. They grow as tourism increases and vice versa. This means tourism can stimulate a comprehensive development of the nation; in this way, it could be truly a game changer.

Further, it is a way of educating children about the rich heritage and culture of India. Harappan sites in Hisar, Haryana, Rajputana forts in Rajasthan, Taj Mahal in Agra, Hampi in Karnataka, etc., are rich repositories of ancient medieval and modern India. This can augment theoretical books with practical observations.

Not only education but also heritage conservation is directly related to tourism. Tourists visit India due to the richness in monuments, culture, aesthetics. This compels the government to maintain this richness. Not only the government but also citizens participate in conservation as observed in the Apni Dharohar scheme.

Realizing this potential, the government is encouraging Ecotourism. Ecotourism strikes a balance between the economy and environment. Some villages in Odisha have seen increased tourism due to this balancing. It provides employment to natives of the place as well as helps in environmental protection. It is a game changer as it swiftly does what our SDG goals require.

Another addition to the definition of tourism is Medical tourism. Visits to India for medical aid have increased. People throughout the world – Europe, American continents, Africa visit India due to approvable and affordable Indian medical services. This means the health sector of the Indian economy is also tied to tourism.

Apart from the visible relations of tourism with other sectors, it is subtly related to society of India. Foreigners come to India with different perceptions, beliefs, culture, and opinions; their acceptance by ideas, opinions, and culture on both ends. Fusion wear and food such as Jeans-Kurta and Tandoori-wraps are respective instances. This increases available options to customer demand for goods and hence supply.

India not only benefits from foreigners visiting India but also Indians visiting abroad. Such visits create an enabling positive environment for India as a whole. This helps in soft diplomacy in our international relations. India-Bhutan relations are testimony to it. This shows tourism can be a game changer in many aspects – national as well as international.

However, this sector faces certain challenges. The Travel and Tourism Report 2017 mentioned an increase in crime against female tourists in India. The Economic Survey mentioned that the potential of tourism is underutilized due to lack of infrastructure, ease of difficulty in getting tourist visas and limited accessibility to information via the internet.

This calls for the creation of an enabling ecosystem. A legal framework to check crimes against tourists and a single window system for easy visas are needed of the hour. Further, technology can be leveraged to increase internet footprints of Indian websites such as that of the Ministry of Tourism. States also need to participate in this step. Moreover, skill development for raising a cadre of tourist guides is required.

The Indian Government does realize the potential and challenges of Tourism. Hence, it has come up with schemes like PRASAD, Adopt a heritage, thematic circuits or Heritage circuits, Dekho Apna Desh, etc. These steps of the government are commendable.

The government can do more by providing infrastructure in the health sector to promote medical tourism. Similarly, education needs to be augmented by conducive infrastructure and a revised curriculum. Vocational training in tourism or foreign language at the school level needs to be promoted.

Tourism is incredibly important for Incredible India. It can be a game changer only if the related sectors, as we have learned above, are also strengthened. ‘Atithi’ (Guest) is indeed equivalent to God, if he/she is treated well and provided with all the services that are basic for a memorable visit to India.