Tourism Sector – Challenges & Opportunities
🟠 Topic 43: Tourism Sector – Challenges & Opportunities
📌 Introduction
The tourism sector is a major driver of economic growth, employment generation, and cultural exchange in India. With its rich heritage, natural diversity, vibrant culture, and spiritual legacy, India has immense potential to become a global tourism powerhouse. The sector contributes significantly to GDP, foreign exchange earnings, and livelihoods, particularly for informal workers, artisans, and hospitality service providers.
📊 Contribution to Economy (2023)
| Parameter | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Tourism GDP Contribution | ~7% |
| Employment (direct & indirect) | ~40 million |
| Foreign Tourist Arrivals (2023) | ~8 million |
| Domestic Tourists (2023) | ~1.8 billion |
🔹 Key Types of Tourism in India
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Heritage Tourism | Taj Mahal, Hampi, Jaipur |
| Spiritual Tourism | Varanasi, Tirupati, Ajmer |
| Medical Tourism | Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi hospitals |
| Eco & Adventure Tourism | Himalayas, Kerala backwaters, Gir forests |
| Cultural Tourism | Festivals, folk art, culinary tourism |
| Wildlife Tourism | Ranthambore, Kaziranga, Periyar |
🔹 Importance of Tourism
1️⃣ Employment Generation
- Provides direct jobs in hotels, airlines, travel agencies.
- Supports indirect jobs in handicrafts, transport, food services.
2️⃣ Foreign Exchange Earnings
- Tourism services exports generate significant forex.
3️⃣ Regional Development
- Tourism boosts economic activity in remote areas, fostering inclusive growth.
4️⃣ Cultural Preservation
- Tourism incentivizes preservation of historical monuments, folk art, crafts, and indigenous practices.
5️⃣ Soft Power Diplomacy
- Promotes India’s cultural heritage and global influence.
🔹 Government Initiatives to Promote Tourism
1️⃣ Swadesh Darshan Scheme
- Theme-based tourism circuits.
- Covers: ✔️ Buddhist Circuit
✔️ Coastal Circuit
✔️ Himalayan Circuit
✔️ Heritage Circuit
✅ Promotes integrated infrastructure development.
2️⃣ PRASHAD Scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive)
- Focus on infrastructure at pilgrimage sites.
- Enhances facilities, sanitation, connectivity, and visitor experience at spiritual destinations.
3️⃣ Dekho Apna Desh Campaign
- Encourages domestic tourism.
- Focus on promoting lesser-known destinations.
4️⃣ National Digital Tourism Mission
- Creates integrated digital platforms for seamless travel services.
- Promotes real-time information sharing across hotels, transport, and tourist sites.
5️⃣ Incredible India Campaign
- India’s flagship international tourism promotion campaign.
- Projects India’s image as a cultural, natural, and wellness tourism hub.
🔹 Niche Tourism Segments
1️⃣ Medical & Wellness Tourism
- India offers affordable, world-class healthcare.
- Key hubs: Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai.
- Ayurveda & Yoga retreats attract international visitors.
2️⃣ Eco & Sustainable Tourism
- Focus on: ✔️ Community-based tourism (CBT). ✔️ Eco-friendly resorts, sustainable practices. ✔️ Wildlife safaris in national parks.
3️⃣ Adventure Tourism
- Trekking, paragliding, river rafting, scuba diving.
- Key sites: Rishikesh, Manali, Andaman, Leh.
4️⃣ Cruise Tourism
- Promoted under Sagarmala.
- Development of cruise terminals in Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai.
🔹 Challenges Facing Tourism Sector
1️⃣ Infrastructure Deficits
- Poor road, rail, and air connectivity to tourist hotspots.
- Inadequate signage, hygiene facilities, and last-mile transport.
2️⃣ Seasonality of Demand
- Many destinations suffer from seasonal tourist influx, leading to income instability.
3️⃣ Overcrowding & Environmental Stress
- Popular sites like Shimla, Goa, Manali suffer from over-tourism, waste accumulation, and water stress.
4️⃣ Safety & Security Concerns
- Tourist safety, particularly for women travelers, impacts India’s global image.
- Instances of fraudulent guides, overpricing, and scams deter visitors.
5️⃣ Skill Shortages
- Lack of formally trained guides, hospitality staff, and tourism managers, especially in rural areas.
6️⃣ Promotion Gaps
- Inadequate global marketing of many hidden destinations.
- Digital promotion efforts still fragmented.
🔹 Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism
- Complete halt during lockdowns.
- 75% revenue loss in 2020-21.
- Revival driven by: ✔️ Domestic tourism surge post-pandemic. ✔️ Focus on nature and heritage tourism. ✔️ Digital platforms offering virtual tours and online bookings.
🔹 Case Study – Kerala’s Responsible Tourism Initiative
- Community-based tourism model.
- Ensures local participation and benefits sharing.
- Promotes: ✔️ Eco-friendly tourism. ✔️ Traditional arts and cuisine promotion. ✔️ Sustainable resource management.
✅ Kerala’s model is globally recognized for inclusive, sustainable tourism.
🔹 Opportunities for Growth
1️⃣ Digital Promotion & Smart Tourism
- Use of virtual reality (VR) for heritage site tours.
- AI-driven personalized itineraries.
2️⃣ Regional Diversification
- Promote North-East India, Lakshadweep, lesser-known sites.
3️⃣ Heritage & Spiritual Circuits
- Expand on Buddhist, Ramayana, and Sufi Circuits.
4️⃣ Wellness & Medical Tourism
- Position India as a global Ayurveda and yoga destination.
5️⃣ Skill Development
- Train local youth in hospitality, language skills, guiding, and cultural curation.
6️⃣ Sustainable Tourism Certification
- Encourage green practices with certification for eco-friendly hotels and operators.
📚 Practice MCQ
1️⃣ Consider the following statements about the Swadesh Darshan Scheme:
- It focuses on developing theme-based tourism circuits.
- It provides direct financial support to individual tour operators.
- It covers both cultural and eco-tourism destinations.
Which of the above statements are correct?
✅ Options:
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3
2️⃣ Which scheme focuses on pilgrimage site infrastructure development?
✅ Options:
(a) AMRUT
(b) PRASHAD
(c) Smart Cities Mission
(d) Digital India
3️⃣ Which segment of tourism is associated with trekking, scuba diving, and paragliding?
✅ Options:
(a) Cultural Tourism
(b) Adventure Tourism
(c) Medical Tourism
(d) Spiritual Tourism
