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Tourism has been recognized as an instrument of socio-economic change. It leads to physical invigoration, mental rejuvenation, spiritual enhancement and cultural enrichment. To know, comprehend and assimilate various facets of a particular part of the world and community has remained an eternal desire of all travellers. Above all the monotony induces uncontrollable desire among people to experience the change through travel. The tourism is the master key to promote the significance of the travels and tours with a concern for the genuine comforts of the travellers.
Potential
The tourism experts believe that tourism can be harnessed as a significant force for the alleviation of poverty, as well as for the protection of the environment and traditional cultures. It gives economic value to natural and cultural heritage by creating employment and generating foreign exchange earnings. Increasing economic value of tourism can make a significant contribution to the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the World Tourism Organization (WTO).
Tourism expansion in the least developed countries is not a zero sum game – it provides many benefits for the industry, the consumers and the foreign-aid strategies of the rich countries. What is now needed is a visionary focus on this win-win sector by all States as a development tool par excellence and the political will at the national and institutional level to put tourism at the core of policymaking.
Scenario
Being a multi-sectoral activity all the components of the tourism system have to work in harmony to deliver the product, which primarily comprises of the ultimate visitor experiences. In view of cut-throat competition, the synergies could be obtained only through combined and coordinated efforts.
The International Travel and Tourism Mart (ITTM) organized by the Department of Tourism last year in Delhi, has been termed as a major effort to bring together, under one roof, all the related sectors. The event attracted over 300 international buyers and media from 38 countries and over 225 exhibitors that included national and regional tourism organizations, travel–trade, accomodation, carrier-sector and all the allied services.
As part of promotion of intra-regional tourism, the Tourism Department’s "India Pavilion" show at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart held in Singapore last November, had been impressive and result-oriented. Besides, the World Travel Market (WTM) held in London significantly displayed marvels from Jammu and Kashmir. The 64th SKAL World Congress held in Chennai, was quite significant with over 500 international travel industry managers and senior professionals participating and deliberating on Congress theme "Tourism through Friendship and Peace".
Growth
In the country, the tourist arrivals in August this year registered an increase of 26.4 per cent over the arrivals in August 2003. This year, till August, total arrivals were 20,93,598. During Jan-Aug 2004, foreign exchange earning through tourist arrivals also registered 35.9 per cent increase over the earnings of corresponding period of last year. Till Aug 2004, tourism has fetched foreign exchange of Rs.14,163.14 crore which is equivalent to US $ 3120.54 million. Interestingly four million Indians go abroad against 2.4 million foreigners that come in.
As part of efforts to consolidate presence in key markets of Germany, France and Spain, the official website of India tourism – www.incredibleindia.org, have launched its German, French and Spanish versions.
The latest issue of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), World Tourism Barometer, published by the WTO, shows the positive economic performance and prospects in the major tourism generating markets. Long-distance travel is also picking up, particularly out of Europe, but short and domestic travel are still performing comparatively better.
The Department of Tourism has won the 2004 PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Gold Award in the Marketing, with a recognition of its exceptional achievement in a variety of endeavours. Conde Nest Traveller, a leading International Travel Publication has rated India as one of the top ten favourite tourism destinations.
World Tourism Day (WTD)
In September 1979, the General Assembly of World Tourism Organization (WTO) decided to institute the World Tourism Day (WTD), commencing in 1980, at its the third session at Torremolinos, Spain. The date September 27 was chosen to coincide with an important milestone in world tourism i.e., the anniversary of the adoption of the WTO Statutes on September 27, 1970. The day is commemorated each year by appropriate events on themes selected by the General Assembly, on recommendation of Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (WTO).
The main purpose of World Tourism Day is to foster awareness among the international community about the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values. The timing of WTD is indeed particularly appropriate as it comes at the end of the high season in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of the season in the Southern Hemisphere, when tourism is of the topical interest to hundreds and thousands of people worldwide from all walks of life and to tourists and the operational sector in particular.
Malaysia, the host country of WTD 2004, has dedicated almost all of September to celebrate the main theme, "Sport and Tourism". Poster drawings, Essay Writing Competitions at all secondary schools, sports and tourism carnival and exhibitions, and the launching of the WTD Commemorative stamps, are the main related events.The theme for WTD 2005 is "Travel and Transport: from the imaginary of Jules Verne to the reality of the 21st Century".
To mark the World Tourism Day 2004, the WTO is holding a promotional draw with the winner receiving a free one year subscription to its digital library i.e., WTO-elibrary. The purpose of this raffle is to raise worldwide awareness of WTD. The WTO elibrary is a paid online, fully cross searchable portal of a vast number of WTO publications including the latest statistical information in their respective languages with over three hundred books in English, French, Spanish, Russian or Arabic.
*AIO, PIB, Srinagar
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