TOURISM IN INDIA

AND AESTHETIC
POLLUTION
MADE BY:-

SHOUVIK ASH (13BEE112)

 Topics

1. Introduction to Tourism- Economic Growth and

Tourism-Tourism in India- Size of Indian Tourism-
Scope of Tourism in India
2. A brief history of Tourism Policy Development- The
First Tourism Policy- Tourism development in the
1990s- The New Tourism Policy- Incredible India- Visa
Policy- e-Tourist Visa
3. Aesthetic Pollution- Economic consequences
4. Review of Literature
5. Statistical Information
6. Conclusion
1.1 Introduction to Tourism

Tourism has emerged as a key sector of the world economy and has
become a major workforce in global trade. It has been making a
revolutionary and significant impact on the world economic
scenario. Tourism has been identified as the major export industry
in the world (Gosh Viswanath, 1998). The multifaceted nature of this
industry makes it a catalyst to economic development and helps
balanced regional development. It is a low capital, labour intensive
industry with economic multiplier and offers opportunity to earn
foreign exchange at low social cost.
Tourism industry acts as a powerful agent of both economic and
social change. It stimulates employment and investment, modifies
economic structure and makes positive contributions towards
balance of payments. The money spent by the foreign tourists in a
country is turned over several times. In the process, the total
income earned from tourism is a number of times more than the
actual spending. The multiplier effect of tourism receipts is
completely recognized as spreading to secondary and tertiary
spheres of the economic activities of a nation. It encompasses
economic, social cultural, educational and political significance.
Marketing and promotion are of vital importance in tourism because
of the competitive nature of the industry both within and between
the generating countries. Tourism creates direct, indirect and
induced employment. It produces a vast spectrum of employment
form highly qualified and trained managers of five-star hotels to
room boys, sales girls, and artisans. With its faster growth, new
horizons of employment open up for the unemployed and
underemployed youth of the developing countries.

1.1.1 Economic Growth and Tourism

Tourism has been a major social phenomenon of the societies all

along. It is motivated by the natural urge of every human being for
new experience, adventure, education and entertainment. The
motivations for tourism also include social, religious and business
interests. The increase of education has fostered a desire to know
more about different parts of the globe. The basic human thirst for
new experience and knowledge has become stronger, as
communication barriers are getting overcome by technological
advances. Progress in air transport and development of tourist
facilities have encouraged people to venture out to the foreign
lands.

Tourism’s importance, as an instrument for economic development

and employment generation, particularly in remote and backward
areas, has been well recognized the world over. It is the largest
service industry globally in terms of gross revenue as well as foreign
exchange earnings. Tourism can play an important and effective
role in achieving the growth with equity objectives which India has
set for itself. Tourism is one economic sector in India that has the
potential to grow at a high rate and can make sure consequential
development of the infrastructure of the destinations. It has the
capacity to capitalize on the country’s success in the services sector
and provide sustainable models of growth.

It has the potential to stimulate other economic sectors through its

backward and forward linkages and cross-sectoral synergies with
sectors like agriculture, horticulture, poultry, handicrafts, transport,
construction, etc. Expenditure on tourism induces a chain of
transactions requiring supply of goods and services from these
related sectors. The consumption demand, emanating from tourist
expenditure, also induces more employment and generates a
multiplier effect on the economy. As a result, additional income and
employment opportunities are generated through such linkages.
Thus, the growth of the tourism sector can lead to large scale
employment generation and poverty alleviation.

The growth in the tourism sector emerged as a very important

contribution to the national economy and contributed quite a lot for
employment generation in various tourism related activities. The not
direct employment multiplier in the case of tourism is fairly high
and is estimated as 2.36 which implies that direct employment of
one person in the tourism sector creates employment to 1.36
persons in other sectors of the economy due to linkages with
tourism .These linkages are in the sectors like agriculture
horticulture, poultry, handicrafts, construction, sports etc. Further
these directly/indirectly employed following the development of
tourism may also need more goods & services as a result of such
employment than what they would have demanded otherwise.
Additional demand will thus generate more employment and further
multiplier effect will come into force through successive chain of
transactions. In fact investment in tourism has the potential to
create more jobs compared to many other sectors and all the more
at a lower level of investment. The labour-capital ratio is very
favorable in tourism sector compared to many other industries with
47.5 jobs for a million rupee investment as has been seen in the
survey conducted by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), Government of
India (Kanjilal, 2006).

The economic benefits that flow into the economy through growth
of tourism in shape of increased national and State revenues,
business receipts, employment, wages and salary income, buoyancy
in Central, State and local tax receipts can contribute towards
overall socio-economic improvement and accelerated growth in the
economy. Tourism is overwhelmingly an industry of Private sector
service providers, although the public sector has a significant role to
play in infrastructure areas either directly or through public–private
partnerships (PPPs) approach. It is a multi-sectoral activity
characterized by multiple services provided by a range of suppliers.
It is quite similar to manufacturing industry, where the supply chain
is as important as the end product. The related sectors include
airlines, surface transport, hotels, basic infrastructure and
facilitation systems, etc. Thus, the growth of tourism cannot be
attained unless the issues related to all the sectors are addressed
simultaneously.

Another important feature of the tourism industry, which is of

particular significance to India, is its contribution to national
integration and preservation of natural as well as cultural
environments and enrichment of the social and cultural lives of
people. Over 382 million domestic tourists visiting different parts of
the country every year return with a better understanding of the
people living in different regions of the country. They have a better
appreciation of the cultural diversity of India. Tourism also
encourages preservation of monuments and heritage properties and
helps the survival of arts forms, crafts and culture.

It is also important to note that tourism has become an instrument

for sustainable human development including:

 Poverty alleviation
 Environmental regeneration
 Job creation
 Advancement of women and other disadvantaged groups.

1.2 Tourism in India

India as a tourist destination exercises immense attraction from

various angles. Tourism has emerged as a major industry of the
Indian economy, contributing substantially to foreign exchange
earnings and serving as a potential generator of employment
opportunities. India is the largest democratic republic in the world
with immense possibilities of growth in the tourism sector, with its
vast cultural and religious heritage and varied natural attractions,
but the country has only a meager share in world tourism. It is a
land of contrasts, that is, from tropics to snows. It presents a
diversity of rare natural and cultural endowments, which is the
traditional symbol of India, i.e. unity in diversity. India has God’s
plenty of natural beauty ranging from the towering Himalayas in the
north to the sun-kissed beaches of the east and the breathtaking
beauty of the west. Each area of the country offers a different
experience with its own specific festivals and culinary culture.
India’s rich cultural heritage and glorious tradition are linked with
the development of tourism in India. The great German scholar, Max
Muller, observed: if we were to look over the whole world to find out
the country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power and
beauty that nature can bestow in some parts a very paradise on
earth. The best performing states of India include Uttaranchal,
Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh,
Orissa and Haryana. Even though India’s share in international
tourism is less than 0.4 percent, the tourism sector alone accounts
for 5.8 percent of the total employment generated in India. Tourism
contributes 5.6 percent of the national income with in India
(Anbalagan, M., Selvam, V., Amudha, R. 2005). According to World
Travel and Tourism Council, India will be a tourism hotspot from
2009-2018, having the highest 10-year growth potential. The
Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2007 ranked tourism in
India 6th in terms of price competitiveness and 39th in terms of
safety and security. Despite short-and medium-term setbacks, such
as shortage of hotel rooms, tourism revenues are expected to surge
by 42% from 2007 to 2017. India’s 5,000 years of history, its length,
breadth and the variety of geographic features make its tourism
basket large and varied. It presents heritage and cultural tourism
along with medical, business and sports tourism.

1.2.1 Size of Indian Tourism

There has been a remarkable growth over the years in foreign

tourist arrival to India due to the various efforts made,
including promoting India through the Incredible India campaign
in overseas markets. This global campaign had attracted the
attention of tourism industry observers as well as tourists. Foreign
tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India increased from 2.65 million in 2000
to 5.58 million in 2010. The foreign exchange earnings (FEE) from
the tourism sector in 2010 were $ 14193 million, an increase of
$10729 million over 2007 (Ministry of Tourism India, 2010).

The contribution of the Travel & Tourism economy to employment is

expected to rise from 31,105,000 jobs in 2009, 6.4% of total
employment or 1 in every 15.6 jobs to 40,037,000 jobs, 7.2% of
total employment or 1 in every 13.8 jobs by 2019. Real GDP growth
for Travel & Tourism economy is expected to be 0.2% in 2009 and to
average 7.7% per annum over the coming 10 years (World Travel &
Tourism Council, 2009).
Table 1.1 Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FAT) in India and Foreign Exchange
Earnings (FEE) in US million Tourism in India, 2000 -2010

Year FTAs in India Percentage (%) FEE from Percentage(%)

(in million) change over Tourism in change over
the previous India (in US the previous
year million) year
2000 2.65 6.7 3460 15.0
2001 2.54 -4.2 3198 -7.6
2002 2.38 -6.0 3103 -3.0
2003 2.73 14.3 4463 4.38
2004 3.46 26.8 6170 38.2
2005 3.92 13.3 7493 21.4
2006 4.45 13.5 8634 15.2
2007 5.08 14.3 10729 24.3
2008 5.28 4.0 11832 10.3
2009 5.17 -2.2 11394 -3.7
2010 5.58 8.1 14193 24.6
Source:

 Bureau of immigration, Govt. of India

 Reserve Bank of India
 Ministry of Tourism Govt. of India

Though the growth in tourism in India has been impressive, India’s

share in global tourist arrivals and earnings is quite insignificant.
India’s rank in world tourist arrivals in 2008 was 41. It is universally
acknowledged that the tourism resources in the country have the
potential to generate significantly higher levels of demand from the
domestic and international markets, and, if exploited intelligently in
a sustainable manner, can prove to be the proverbial engine of
growth for the economy.

1.2.2 Scope of Tourism in India

India has many tourist attractions that have healing abilities and are
capable of providing rewarding experiences of life. India has the
Himalayan ranges in the north, a long coastline surrounded by seas
in the south. In addition, India is rich in varied landscapes,
enchanting historical sites and royal cities, clean beaches, serene
mountain retreats, rich cultures and festivities to enjoy and
rejuvenate.

In any part of the year, India can offer a wide selection of

destinations and experiences. In summer, there are lovely retreats
amidst the heady beauty in the Himalayas or the lush-heights of the
Western Ghats with cool trekking trails, tall peaks, or stretches of
white water for the adventure seekers. In the cool Indian winter,
cities come alive with cultural feasts of music and dance. The sun-
clad beaches are ideal locations for rejuvenation in the winter. The
wild-life sanctuaries with their abundance of flora and fauna provide
delights to the mind and rejuvenation to the body.
2.1 A Brief History of Tourism Policy Development

In the early days of independent India, quite rationally, the

Government didn't pay much attention to tourism. Worldwide, the
number of international tourists was still limited and among those
tourists there were only few who considered going to faraway places
like India. Moreover, the Indian Government had more urgent
matters at hand. The first public milestone in the history of tourism
was the creation of the Indian Tourism Development Corporation
(ITDC), in 1966. This federal organization was meant to develop
tourist infrastructure and services. On a state level, similar
Corporations were established, albeit reluctantly and after
considerable delay. Their budgets were small and the scales of their
operations were limited. Moreover the tourist services the y offered
were generally considered substandard and indifferent.

Both the TDCs (the ITDC especially) and private entrepreneurs set up
luxury hotels in the metropolitan, international entry and exit
points. These hotels accommodated foreign visitors as well as the
local elite, who patronized such hotels throughout the year. In some
regional tourist centers in the vicinity of main entry points (e.g.
Jaipur and Agra) such hotels were established relatively early on as
well. Most of the present Indian tourist destinations, however, were
developed through a slow

process which started with the arrival of rather 'adventurous'

backpacker tourists and their interaction with local communities.
The gradual, 'spontaneous' proliferation of various kinds of tourist
services along the backpacker trail has opened up areas for tourists
and paved the way for other forms of tourism development. The
local populations involved in opening up their towns and villages
showed great adaptation and flexibility in identifying and trying
ways of catering to the needs and tastes of (foreign) visitors. In
collaboration with these visitors, they created enclaves which were
more exotic than India and yet produced exactly the right mixture of
goods and services from home: peculiar places which are both
island-like and thoroughly Indian. In their efforts they were neither
supported nor guided by the Indian Government. Tourism
development was a largely unplanned exercise.

This held true for different states to different degrees. In Kerala,

Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and Himachal Pradesh tourism was much
more consistently incorporated into state (five year) plans than in
other states, even relatively early on - in the 1970s. At that time,
these states already attracted a relatively large share of India's
international tourists and were to become India's main tourist states
and 'models for tourism development' (Singh, 2001:143). Still, even
in these states, tourism was largely left to the private sector and to
a comparatively unrestricted market. While there have been slight
modifications in policy, this basic condition hasn't changed much
until the present day.

2.2 The First Tourism Policy (1982)

The first significant policy initiatives were forged in the early 1980s.
With the prospect of hosting the Asian Games of 1982, the Indian
Government had to start thinking about accommodating,
transporting and entertaining the large number of visitors attracted
by the event. This awakened a serious public interest in tourism,
which was enhanced by the fact that tourism was India's largest net
earner of foreign currency. The public interest was translated into
the Tourism Policy of 1982 which provided an action plan based on
the development of so-called tourism circuits (Singh, 2001).

A tourist circuit consists of a number of tourist sights which are

geographically and/or thematically grouped together with the idea
that the value of their sum is more than an adding up of the values
of the parts. Rather than being the result of an in-depth analysis
and marketing study, the circuit idea was born out of the feeling
that 'the Golden Triangle' destinations of Delhi-Jaipur-Agra and the
Bombay-Goa shopping-and-beach circuit were grossly oversold. In
order to lure away the tourists from these overcrowded 'circuits',
into the myriad of other potentially popular destinations in India,
the concept of alternative circuits - rather than alternative places
that could be grouped together by tourists themselves - was
somehow thought imperative (Gantzer & Gantzer, 1983).

2.3 Tourism development in the 1990s

In the 1980s, the growing public interest in tourism resulted in the

recognition of tourism as an export industry (including the implied
tax exemptions) and the creation of a special public tourism finance
corporation (1987). These initiatives were thought to openly and
explicitly invite private investors and entrepreneurs to participate in
tourism development. In 1997 the department of tourism published
a (new) National Tourism Action Plan. Apart from identifying a few
areas for 'integrated tourism development', along the lines of the
aforementioned (thematic) tourism circuits, the aim of the plan was
to achieve an overall growth and improvement of the tourism sector
in India, by stepping up marketing, infrastructure building and
human resource development. According to some, the plan didn't
present anything new. It just was phrased in a more fashionable
development sector jargon (Singh, 2001). Others maintained that
the plan was over-ambitious and unrealistic. Funding by no means
matched the challenging quantitative targets (Raguraman, 1998). In
fact, from independence onwards the budget outlays for tourism
have always been very small (less than 0.2%).

This goes for India's share in worldwide international tourism too.

During the first fifty years of independent India, the portion of
international tourists visiting India has not been more than 0.4%. It
is claimed to have risen to some 0.45% in 2004 (GOI 2004). Given
the rise of international tourists in the world, this implies that there
has been a steady increase in tourist arrivals which accelerated in
2004. Indeed, according to the Indian Tour Operators Promotion
Council (ITOPC), over the period 2001-2006, the number of foreign
tourists in India has nearly doubled (to some 4.4 million). While
these figures are unrealistically high (see next section), they do
show that in absolute terms the number of international tourists
visiting India has increased considerably.

The increase in tourism arrivals was aided by the growing

popularity of far-off and exotic destinations among Western
tourists and recent advances in the general outlook and
international image of India. The opening of its markets in the early
1990s and the recent years of high economic growth have
profoundly changed its surface. In the past India was naturally
associated with slums and poverty. Nowadays it is often portrayed
as a rapidly emerging economic superpower.
The rising economic significance and potential of tourism has gone
hand in hand with a growing public interest in the sector. With the
opening up of the Indian market, a lively competition between the
states emerged in attracting investors in industry and other sectors.
Along similar lines, states started competing for their share of
international and domestic tourists. Particularly in the traditional
tourist states there was an urge to develop tourism to its full
potential. A notable example is Kerala, a relatively small state with a
rich variety of natural tourist settings. The Kerala government took
up a largely enabling role, supporting and promoting a great
number of different tourist activities.

In the new millennium, Kerala witnessed a remarkable

diversification in the supply of tourist services. As never before,
the government allowed tourists to move around in rather secluded
areas of natural parks and sanctuaries. Private entrepreneurs
pioneered 'heritage tourism', combining stays in nicely situated
heritage buildings with Ayurvedic treatment. They also started
organizing expeditions by foot, boat, raft, jeep or bullock cart,
through the hills of the Western Ghats and along the backwaters.
Varied packages including nature, local tradition and culture,
heritage and relaxation were developed by a rapidly increasing
number of entrepreneurs. Inevitably, with the widespread discovery
of their potential, all such bits of special tourism have spread over
other parts of India and have become ordinary fare in Kerala. During
this process both the government and the private sector have
adopted several forms of 'eco-tourism'. Such adoption was
promoted by the aforementioned 1997 Action Plan. In practice, it
was largely opportunistic. Everything with a more or less natural feel
to it was termed 'eco'. The governments of other states increasingly
follow Kerala's example. They do so by: (a) recognizing the income
earning and job generation potential of tourism; (b) (more) actively
promoting tourism through publicity campaigns and giving support
and incentives to the private sector; and (c) largely putting private
entrepreneurs in charge of the provision of tourist services.

The example of Kerala shows that Indian tourist destinations

can outgrow the phase of basic backpacker enclaves referred to
above and offer a more differentiated mix of products to a socio-
economically much more varied group of tourists. Amongst these
tourists, there is a large section of people from India, i.e. domestic
tourists.

The importance of domestic tourism was recognized by public

policy makers in the 1990s. They included it as an important issue
in the Tourism Action Plan of 1997 and decided that it was a state
government (policy) issue. The central government was to take care
of international tourists. Traditionally, domestic tourism mainly
concerned pilgrimage and work-related travel. From the 1990s
onwards there has been a steep rise in modern forms of domestic
tourism. This new phenomenon is related to the booming Indian
economy and the new susceptibility of the Indian middle and higher
classes to rather alien, Western ideas of Holiday making. At present,
an ever growing group of Indian tourists travels around the country
for rather prosaic, leisure and sightseeing-related reasons. This new
trend is underscored by the emergence of Indian travel magazines
and the growing explicit attention for domestic tourist destinations
in leading newspapers.

2.4 The New Tourism Policy (2002)

In 2002, when the action plan was finally translated into a tourism
policy. Tourism policy officially became a joint central-state
government concern. The new policy itself, however, was designed
by the central government. To a large extent, it concerns old wine in
new bottles. It holds the kind of goals and expectations exemplary
for the first policy. To start with, the policy document attempts to
establish tourism's great contribution to national development and
its role as an engine of growth. It suggests that tourism not only
generates government revenue, foreign currency, but also provides
an optimal use of India's scarce resources, sustainable
development, high quality employment (especially to youngsters,
women and disabled people), and finally, peace, understanding,
national unity and stability (GOI, 2002). The policy starts from the
idea that tourism can be used as a development tool, e.g. that it can
generate high quality, mass employment and prosperity among
vulnerable groups in backward areas.

In more practical terms, the policy aims at increasing the number of

domestic and international tourists. In order to do this, the
government proposes to diversify the Indian tourism product and
substantially improve the quality of (tourism) infrastructure,
marketing, visa arrangements and air- travel. The aforementioned
tourism-as-a-development-tool largely concerns domestic tourism,
which in this capacity is conceptually linked to 'sustainable' rural
development. As far as international tourism is concerned the Indian
Government mainly wants to target the 'high-yielding variety' of
tourists.

These major policy aims are derived from three main sources. The
idea of tourism-as-a-development- tool leading to sustainable rural
development is rooted in traditional socialist-style Indian
Government thinking. An equally important source however, is the
ideology of the international development community, represented
by organizations such as the UNDP. The idea to specifically target
the long haul, high yielding variety of international tourists , on the
other hand, is part and parcel of the worldview of lobby
organizations representing international airline and hotel
companies. The WTTC in particular has played an important role in
shaping the Indian tourism policy. Its predictions and suggestions
form an integral part of the policy. While it is understandable that
organizations such as the WTTC and the UNDP have influenced the
Indian Tourism Policy, it is surprising to see how apparently easily
and without much adaptation their recommendations have become
official policy. This implies that the policy is founded upon rather
contrasting ideas.

The policy does not include a clear strategy, linking means and
ends, assigning responsibilities and roles across government and
private agencies, and setting realistic targets according to a list of
prioritized goals. Rather, it seems an expression of intent to
improve on everything. The policy document itself reads like a
tourist brochure, piling up a great variety of tourist activities and
sights that could and should be developed (it includes a 4 page list
of all forms of tourism one can possibly think of - GOI, 2002). The
same goes for the 'world class infrastructure' (including 'integrated'
tourist circuits) through which such activities and sights are to be
connected to the rest of the world. But there is nothing like the kind
of systematic approach one would normally associate with
government plan and policy. An obvious complication in the Indian
context, particularly with respect to the division of roles and
responsibilities, is the federal system of government. While the
central government is not powerless and does in fact determine
policy and control most of the funds, for the implementation of its
policy it is largely dependent on state governments, whose plans,
policies and projects are often determined by concerns other than
those formulated in national plans.

In the past, this may have been one of the reasons for assigning a
'lesser' form of tourism to the states: domestic tourism. In any case,
the distinction between domestic and international tourism is
another source of confusion. The new national policy starts from
the largely implicit assumption that domestic and international
tourism concern different market segments, with distinct products
(destinations and tourist services) catering to distinct sets of
demand. It nowhere makes clear, however, what these differences
actually are, what it is that causes such differences and what the
relationship between domestic and international tourism
development is or should be.

In summary, we have a tourism policy document that conceives

tourism both as a great boon and as a potential threat. In this latter
viewpoint tourism should be publicly controlled and guided in order
to prevent it from degenerating into a menace. According to the first
viewpoint, however, mainstream tourism, especially of the long
haul, luxury variety, is highly beneficial to start with. It concerns
such an important engine of growth and source of employment, that
it merits only public facilitation.

2.5 Incredible India

Incredible India is the name of an international marketing campaign
by the Government of India to promote tourism in India in 2002 to
an audience of global appeal. The campaign projected India as an
attractive tourist destination by showcasing different aspects of
Indian culture and history like yoga, spirituality, etc. The campai gn
was conducted globally and received appreciation from tourism
industry observers and travelers alike. However, the campaign also
came in for criticism from some quarters. Some observers felt that it
had failed to cover several aspects of India which would have been
attractive to the average tourist.

2.6 Visa Policy

India requires citizens of most countries to have a valid passport

and apply for a visa at their local Indian embassy or consulate,
before they travel. They can apply directly by mail or in person, or
through their local travel services company. India has recently
implemented an online method for citizens of 40 countries to apply
and receive an e-Tourist Visa. Nationals of Bhutan, Maldives and
Nepal do not require a visa. Citizens of Afghanistan, Argentina,
Bangladesh, DPR Korea, Jamaica, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia,
Nepal, South Africa and Uruguay are not required to pay a fee when
obtaining Indian visa.
A Protected Area Permit (PAP) is required to enter the states of
Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and
Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal. A Restricted
Area Permit (RAP) is required to enter the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands and parts of Sikkim. Special permits are needed to enter
Lakshadweep Islands.

2.6.1 e-Tourist Visa

In order to boost tourism numbers the Indian Government decided

to implement a new visa policy, allowing visitors to obtain a visa on
arrival at 16 designated international airports by obtaining an
Electronic Travel Authorisation online before arrival without the
need to visit an Indian consulate or visa centre. As a result of this,
56,477 tourist arrived on e-Tourist Visa during the month of
October, 2015, as compared to 2,705 during the month of October,
2014 marking to a growth of 1987.9%. During January–October,
2015 a total of 2,58,182 tourist arrived on e-Tourist Visa as
compared to 21,995 during January–October, 2014 registering a
growth of 1073.8%.

The facility will be made available to citizens of about 180 countries

in several phases. On 27 November 2014, India introduced its visa
on arrival enabled by ETA facility for tourists and business visitors,
to citizens of following countries – Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook
Islands, Djibouti, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan,
Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands,
Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue
Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea,
Philippines, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South
Korea, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu and
Vietnam. The facility was extended to China, Macau and Hong Kong
on 30 July 2015. The facility was further extended to citizens of
Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Belgium, Bolivia, Colombia,
Cuba, East Timor, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta,
Malaysia, Mongolia, Monaco, Mozambique, the Netherlands,
Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, Saint
Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Sweden, Taiwan,
Tanzania, Turks and Caicos Islands, the United Kingdom, Uruguay
and Venezuela on 15 August 2015.
Visa Policy of India
4.1 Aesthetic Pollution

Often tourism fails to integrate its structures with the natural

features and indigenous architectural of the destination. Large
resorts of disparate design may look out of place in a natural
environment and may clash with the indigenous structural design.

A lack of land-use planning and building regulations in many

destinations has facilitated sprawling developments along
coastlines, valleys and scenic routes. The sprawl includes tourism
facilities themselves and supporting infrastructure such as roads,
employee housing, parking, service areas and waste disposal.

4.2 Economic consequences

The public often perceives the quality of recreational water to be

very different from its actual microbial and/or chemical quality
(Philipp, 1994). Some studies have shown that rivers of good
microbial or chemical quality have been perceived as poor by the
public because of aesthetic pollution (Dinius, 1981; House, 1993).
Poor aesthetic recreational water and beach quality may, however,
also imply poor microbial/chemical water quality.

The economic aspects associated with cleaning the coastline have

previously been reviewed (Bartram & Rees, 2000). Local economies
may depend on the aesthetic quality of recreational water areas, and
many fear that environmental degradation of beaches could lead to
loss of income from tourism (WHO, 1990; Godlee & Walker, 1991;
Philipp, 1992). At resort beaches, litter may have an economic effect
on the region. During 1987 and 1988. The economic effects
attributed to the loss of use of the environment for tourists and
other economic purposes were:-

• Loss of tourist days

• Damage to the local tourist infrastructure (loss of income for

hotels, restaurants, bathing resorts, other amenities, etc.)

• Damage to tourist-dependent activities (loss of income for

clothing manufac-ture, food industry, general commerce, etc.)

• Damage to fisheries activities (reduction in fish catch, depreciation

of the price of seafood)

• Damage to fisheries-dependent activities (fishing equipment

production and sales, fisheries products, etc.)

• Damage to the image of the Adriatic coast as a recreational resort

at both national and international levels (WHO, 1990; Philipp, 1992).

A further economic factor that should be taken into consideration is

the health care cost associated with beach litter, in particular
hospital waste washed up on beaches (Philipp, 1991; Walker, 1991;
Anon., 1994). The direct health care costs arising from discarded
hypodermic syringe needles have been studied and found to be
considerable (Philipp, 1993).

Review of Literature
Pirece (1996) in his book viewed tourist destination form five board
sectors namely attraction, transport, accommodation supporting
facilities and instructions. He explain that attraction encourage
tourist to visit the location, the transport service enable them to do
so, the accommodation and supporting facilities cater for the
tourists well being, their stay and the infrastructure assures
essential functioning all of the sectors.

Admitting international visitors and facilitating their travel within a

nation’s borders is a political action therefore country approach to
international tourism is a part of its foreign policy, as well as a part
of its economics and commercial policy. There are endless examples
of the political and foreign policy implication to international
tourism, increased contacts between people of different cultural can
lead to increased knowledge and understanding in turn can
contribute to a relaxation of tension between nations. (Hall, 2000)
 Statistical Information

• The World Travel & Tourism Council calculated that tourism

generated ₹6.4 trillion (US$94 billion) or 6.6% of the nation's GDP in
2012.

• It supported 39.5 million jobs, 7.7% of its total employment.

• The sector is predicted to grow at an average annual rate of 7.9%

till 2023 making India the third fastest growing tourism destination
over the next decade.

• India has a large medical tourism sector which is expected to grow

at an estimated rate of 30% annually to reach about ₹95 billion
(US$1.4 billion) by 2015.

• About 22.57 million tourists arrived in India in 2014, compared to

19.95 million in 2013. This ranks India as the 38th country in the
world in terms of foreign tourist arrivals.
• Domestic tourist visits to all states and Union Territories
numbered 1,036.35 million in 2012, an increase of 16.5% from
2011.

• In 2014, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh were the

most popular states for tourists.

• Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Agra have been the four most visited
cities of India by foreign tourists during the year 2011.

• Worldwide, Chennai is ranked 38 by the number of foreign

tourists, while Mumbai is ranked at 50, Delhi at 52 and Agra at 66
and Kolkata at 99.

Top 10 Source Countries for Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India

in 2013
Source- TravelBizMonitor.com

Source- TravelBizMonitor.com
Source- TravelBizMonitor.com
 Conclusion

Tourism is a major driver of economic growth globally. India's

tourism industry is experiencing a strong period of growth, driven
by the burgeoning Indian middle class, growth in high spending
foreign tourist and coordinated government campaigns to promote
'Incredible India'. For a developing country like India which is on the
path of modern economic growth through structural transformation
of the economy, tourism is the right vehicle. With its forward and
backward linkages with a host of sectors like transport, hospitality,
education, health, banking etc. India is all set to reap full potential
of this vibrant sector.

Tourism sector is not only a major contributor to the growth of the

economy but a generator of employments opportunities as well.
Various initiative have also been taken by the Tourism Ministry of
India, the Tourism Ministry of various states and the private players
to transform India into a lucrative tourist destination in the world.
Let us hope that Indian tourism will have massive impact and will be
a global leader by the year 2020.
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 Sastry Poorna, “Studies in Tourism Development Planning”, T.T Maps and

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