Destination India

Vivacity

Our rich cultural heritage has made the country a No. 1 tourist spot. Along with celebrations, it is time to work on the shortcomings in our tourism infrastructure, says Debesh Banerjee
As you pack your bags for that annual vacation and head to the sun-kissed beaches of Jamaica, have you ever wondered where the global tourists are heading to for their holidays? It is India.
Yes, you heard it right. India is the most favourite tourist destination according to a survey conducted by a leading travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller. The survey, conducted among the magazine's 30,000 readers, puts India way ahead of Italy, Thailand and Australia. So what makes our country the hotspot for global tourists?
Cultural diversity
It is a combination of factors that has taken us to the top and leading among them are our culture and history.
According to the survey, 97.7 per cent of the respondents preferred India for its cultural richness and 96.3 per cent for the "variety of attractions".
Says president of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) Subhash Goyal, "India is the greatest show on the earth. Where else would you find the oldest mountain ranges on one side and a desert, which is inhabited. To add to that we have a culture and history that dates back thousand of years. The country is the birthplace of four major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. The mix is heady."
While we have topped the list in terms of popularity, it does not mean that we are ahead of Italy or Thailand on the ground level. For experts believe that it is all a game of averages. Explains chairman of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) Subhash Verma, "When such surveys are conducted, a combination of factors including political and economical conditions of the country come into play. We may be high on these factors, but in terms of yearly volume of in-bound tourists, we are way behind compared to the global average. All in all, the situation is looking up for us as we have scored a better average and deserve this recognition."
But why so late?
It took us 60 years to be voted as a top travel destination. What took us so long to get it or is it that we were always on the right track but the world never took note of us?
Says Mukesh Jagga, president, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), "We always had the ingredients to notch up votes for popularity. It was a process that started 60 years ago and has finally culminated now. Initially, we were not very focussed on developing tourism as other concerns like education and healthcare were on the top of our agenda. After achieving that, we have been steadily focussing on developing tourism."
According to the survey, India was ranked 10th in 2004, and fourth in 2006. So what has spurred this rise in ratings? Experts say that the nation has achieved nothing in quantitative terms for its tourism industry. It is only the side issues that the government has been focussing on like the Incredible India campaign that is responsible for our top ratings.
Explains Goyal, "The Incredible India campaign marketed our country as a spiritual destination, creating a mysticism about India among travellers across the globe. This made people curious about us."
Even the change in global perception from a country of snake charmers to a country with a booming economy has contributed to our popularity to some extent. Besides, Bangalore has been voted as the number one business travel destination, joining the ranks of Shanghai and London. This skill-powered economy has lent weight to the ratings. Says Rajesh Mudgill, MD, Planet India Travels, "There has been a surge of leisure and business travellers to the country over the past three years. Great shopping options have boosted India's popularity as a retail therapy destination, thus far the strong points of Singapore and Bangkok."
What next?
Now that we are number one, how should we maintain this position?
Experts believe that we should take it as a stepping stone and set our house in order. For as long as we are not able to compete with the world average regarding numbers of in-bound tourists, we can never be a force to reckon with.
Explains Mudgill, "We are far behind in comparison to China that receives 30 million tourists every year. To just be happy with this status would be foolhardy. Instead, we should look at this as a launch pad."
With the Commonwealth Games approaching, we are anything but ready. The Capital lacks hotel rooms and the existing infrastructure cannot support the huge rush of in-bound tourists.
Says Goyal, "We need more hotel rooms and fast. Also, the existing rooms rates need to be made globally competitive. At present, we are charging exorbitant rates that may create a problem for us. The government needs to regularise the slab of hotel room rates for all categories."
The survey, however, points out that 94.78 per cent votes were received for India being a "value for money" destination. Whatever be the highs and lows, now that we are number one, it is time to celebrate.