TOURISM POLICY

ADHITHY MENON | M2 PLANNING | SAP GECT

WHAT IS Tourism policy is a set of discourses, Tourism
TOURISM decisions, and practices driven by Destination
POLICY? government, sometimes in
collaboration with private or social Public
actors, with the intention to achieve Stake- Policy
diverse objectives related to tourism. holders (tourism &
Other)
OR

Tourism policy can be defined as a GOVERNANCE

set of regulations, rules, guidelines,
directives, and
development/promotion objectives
Public
and strategies that provide a Politics
Authority
framework within which the
collective and individual decisions
directly affecting long - term tourism Policy
development and the daily activities Making
within a destination are taken.
 ❖ It defines the rules- the terms under which tourism operators must function.
WHY IS ❖ It sets out activities and behaviours that are acceptable for visitors.
❖ It provides a common direction and guidance for all tourism stakeholders within a
TOURISM destination.
POLICY ❖ It facilitates consensus around specific strategies and objectives for a given destination.
❖ It provides a framework for public/private discussions on the role and contributions of
IMPORTANT the tourism sector to the economy and to society in general.
❖ It allows tourism to interface more effectively with other sectors of the economy.
 In June 1986 (Seventh Five Year Plan 1985-1990), the planning Commission of India set up
TOURISM the National Committee on Tourism to prepare perspective plan for tourism sector.
PRINCIPLES
POLICY ❖ Tourism revolution should change its strategies as well as techniques and tools of its
machinery of implementation with the concern that during the last decade India's
IN INDIA share of world tourist traffic has remained static at 0.38%.
❖ At the institutional level, a framework have to be evolved which is government led,
private sector driven and community–welfare oriented.
❖ Relationship of tourism and cultural assets should be fully recognized and provided for
The first tourism policy improvements and environmental upgradation.
was announced by the ❖ Effective linkages and close coordination should be established with departments like
Govt. of India on Nov civil aviation, environment, forest, railway etc.
1982- Inclusion of ❖ Sustainability should serve as a guiding star for the new policy.
Tourism sector in the ❖ Emphasis should be laid on eco tourism, domestic tourism (connected with
Concurrent list of the pilgrimage), rural tourism and tourism in small settlements.
Constitution of India. ❖ Special attraction of tourists for yoga, siddha should be made of use and encouraged.
❖ Tourism industry and travel agents should evolve & adopt a code of ethics.
❖ A section of state police should be earmarked to act as tourist police and special
training should be imparted to it.
Tourism affects many areas - the economic, socio-cultural and environmental. This is the principal reason for governments
involvement in tourism development.

1. Various economic reasons may induce the public sector to 2. Social 3. Another reason is
foster tourism development. considerations are the need for
❖ Tourism becomes a way of revenue generating opportunity another important controlling the
through employment. reason. Governments environmental
❖ Examples: Investing in hotels, transportation infrastructure, participate in tourism impact of tourism,
catering, restaurants, safe water, financial system, improve development in order such as pollution
quality of life. to maximize the and other
Privatisation/ Effective tax socio-cultural environmental
Deregulation collection
benefits of tourism hazards and land
(such as: cultural use problems
Macroeconomic Investment in exchange, revival of resulting from poor
stability Public services
traditional crafts & planning, setting and
ceremonies, Rural engineering of
development, etc.) tourist attractions
Policies for and facilities
Development of
Foreign Aid Economic
Manufacturing
Development
 ❖ Setting up of National Tourism Advisory Board headed by Union Tourism
THE Minister and State Tourism Ministers as members.
ACTION ❖ Inter-ministerial Coordination committee headed by Principal Secretary in PMO.
PLAN ❖ The bodies would help in addressing problems faced by the state governments
and stake holders who offer services.
 VISION
❖ Develop India as a “Must Experience” and “Must Revisit”
destination for global travellers.
❖ Encourage Indians to explore their own nation and realize the
VISION & potential of tourism as a major contributor to the economic
MISSION OF growth, employment generation and poverty allocation.
NATIONAL
TOURISM MISSION
POLICY 2015 ❖ Enhance the share of international Tourist Arrivals and revenue
through sustained growth path.
❖ Promote domestic tourism
❖ Develop and promote in a responsible sustainable manner,
economically, socially, culturally and environmentally.
❖ Positioning India as a welcoming, safe and sustainable destination
for foreigners.
 ❖ Positioning and maintaining tourism development as national
KEY priority activity.
OBJECTIVES ❖ Enhancing and maintaining the competitiveness of India as a
tourism destination.
❖ Improving India's existing tourism products and expanding these
to meet new market requirements.
❖ Creation of world class infrastructure.
❖ Developing sustained and effective marketing plans and programs.
 ❖ Inclusion of Tourism in the concurrent list of constitution of India, this will provide a constitutional
POSITIONING AND recognition to the tourism sector in a systematic manner.
MAINTAINING ❖ To provide effective linkages and close coordination between departments .
TOURISM ❖ Constitution of a Tourism Advisory Council with key stakeholders to act as “think tank”.
DEVELOPMENT AS ❖ Prepare the basis for the adoption of the tourism satellite account system based on protocol.
NATIONAL ❖ Plan and implement a professionally managed integrated communications strategy to be called the
PRIORITY ACTIVITY. “National Tourism Awareness Campaign”

❖ Visa on Arrival - Implement visa on arrival and consider strategies for the fast issuance of visas and
permits, including electronic visa approaches, and improved processing of arrivals by customs and
immigration officials.
❖ Computerization of the system of issuance of visas by Embassies / High Commissions.
❖ Air capacity available to India is woefully short during peak travel months ranging from October to ENHANCING
March and specially from main tourism originating destinations like North America, Western Europe INDIA'S
and South East Asia. Additional seat capacity from the major destinations would provide a major COMPETITIVENESS
impetus to tourism and economic development. AS A TOURIST
❖ Improve the standard of facilities and services at the nation's international and major domestic
DESTINATION
airports by employing professional property management agencies to manage the physical premises
on an outsource basis, and speeding up the privatization/leasing of airports.
❖ There is a need for creation of special tourism police force for deployment at major tourist
destinations. This will provide travellers security through a spirit of courtesy and hospitality
 In relation to the development of products that are related to the special interests of the target markets, the
IMPROVING AND product development strategy should be to:
❖ India has 22 world heritage sites (16 are monuments). The conservation, preservation and integrated
EXPANDING
development of the area around these monuments provides a rare opportunity for growth and expansion of
PRODUCT cultural tourism in India.
DEVELOPMENT ❖ Develop sustainable beach and coastal tourism resort products based on a more flexible approach to
developments in the coastal zone.
❖ Develop and position the Kochi and Andaman & Nicobar Islands as international cruise destinations. This positioning is supported by their
proximity to international cruise routes,
❖ Capitalize by packaging India's unmatched variety of traditional cuisines that are today becoming increasingly popular in the world. The
linkages and ripple effects created by a rapidly expanding restaurant sector can have dramatic implications for the Indian economy.

India's physical infrastructure is the very foundation on which tourism is to be built, and this ranges from
ports of entry, to modes of transport to destinations, be they airways, roads, railways, or waterways, to CREATION OF
urban infrastructure supporting tourism facilities such as access roads, power and electricity, water supply, WORLD CLASS
sewage, and telecommunications amongst others. In this context, the strategic actions in relation to road, INFRASTRUCTURE
railways, waterways, and airport facilities are identified below:
❖ Development of Integrated Circuits Identifying travel circuits and converging all resources and expertise for development of these circuits
as International Standard destinations.
❖ Roads The road network is particularly vital to tourism, for almost 70 per cent of passenger travel in India is by roads. Many tourist circuits
too, are entirely dependent on roads.
❖ Railways The Indian Railway system can be an enormous asset in the development of the tourism and hospitality industry in the country.
India has 7,000 railway stations and 11,000 trains.
❖ Waterways India's 7,000 kms coastline remains untapped for the promotion of cruises. There is immense potential for this activity in the
East, South and West of India.
 The competition for travellers from the source markets, identified for India, is fierce, and to effectively
compete in these markets, India will have to shift its current traditional marketing approach to one
that is more aggressive and competitive. In this context, India will have to use an array of marketing
tools and strategies to:
❖ Differentiate itself from the competing destinations, including developing a unique market
position, image, and brand that cannot be held by a competitor.
❖ Undertake an extensive qualitative and quantitative market research programme in the target
STRATEGIES source markets.
FOR EFFECTIVE ❖ Identify and assemble a highly attractive product offering tailored to the interests of each source
MARKETING market, and develop and implement on-going cost-effective promotion programmes in each
source market in partnership with the States and the private sector of the tourism industry in
India.
❖ Establish an effective and on-going market representation presence with the travel trade in each
source market.
❖ Establish an Internet portal in various languages to service the information, product description,
and product sales requirements of the target market segments in each source market, and to
connect these directly with the preferred suppliers
 ❖ Organizational instruments. Institutions who design, implement, or merely act on
tourism policy. For the development of any policy, program, or action, it is always
necessary to have some institution who manages programs and actions using both
human and material resources. The institutional framework is a key element in any policy
and thus in tourism policy. There are three basic types: the traditional administrative
political structures, the executive structures dependent of the formers and usually
related to marketing and destination promotion, and structures of cooperation between
POLICY public and private actors.
❖ Norms or regulations of a compulsory character. They confer rights or impose
INSTRUMENTS
FOR TOURISM obligations related to tourism and they stablish direct or indirect government regulation.
❖ Incentive and promotion instruments. Instruments that seek to stimulate private actors
POLICY
to be aligned with the goals of tourism policy, usually through economic stimuli that are
articulated through grants, soft loans, subsidies, and tax credits. It could also honorific.
❖ Improving knowledge instruments. Related to the need to generate relevant data on
tourism, the importance for investigations in this field, and the willingness to help
tourism knowledge.
❖ Communication tools. The use of mass media could be both for raising awareness of
specific values, as hospitality, and for supporting promotional campaigns of tourism
destinations.
REFERENCES________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. Tourism- Principles, practices, philosophies, Eleventh edition- Charles R. Goeldner J. R. Brent Ritchie.
2. Tourism Policy in India-
http://www.drbrambedkarcollege.ac.in/sites/default/files/Tourism%20policy%20of%20India%20%282%29.pdf
3. Allen MD, Edgell DL, Smith G, Swanson J (2007) Tourism policy and planning, 1st edn. Butterworth-Heinemann, Amsterdam
4. Bramwell B, Lane B (2000) Tourism collaboration and partnerships: politics, practice and sustainability, 1st edn. Channel View
Publications, Clevedon
5. Bramwell B, Lane B (2013) Tourism governance : critical perspectives on governance and sustainability. Routledge, Hoboken
6. Burns PM, Novelli M (eds) (2007) Tourism and politics. Taylor & Francis Ltd., GB
7. http://tourism.gov.in/tourism-policy
8. http://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/policy/National%20Tourism%20Policy%202002.pdf
9. WTO (2012b) Positioning tourism in economic policy: evidence and some proposals. http:// www2.unwto.org/es/node/30786 .