In an important development for India’s tourism industry, the country is poised to host the first Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting as part of its G20 presidency. The meeting, scheduled to take place in Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch from 7 to 9 February 2023, will focus primarily on rural and archaeological tourism. Additionally, Dholavira, a UNESCO World heritage site, will serve as the second location for foreign delegates.
G20 Priorities and the Role of Tourism
As part of the G20 presidency, India has identified five key areas of focus for the tourism sector, spanning various aspects from greening of the sector to capitalizing on digital advancements. Interventions in these areas are not only critical to India’s tourism growth but also play a major role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. In particular, the accent is on advocating sustainable tourism, instrumental in promoting environmental consciousness and stimulating local enterprise growth.
The different locales chosen for hosting the G20 events reflect a diverse spread of tourism genres, including rural tourism (Ladpura Khas village, MP), archaeological tourism (Dholavira), and eco-tourism(Khonoma Village,Nagaland). To further leverage the G20 Presidency, three mega tourism-related events have been planned – the Global Investors’ Summit in April 2023, MICE Convention, and Meeting of World Tourism CEOs Forum.
Current State of Indian Tourism Sector
India takes pride in its varied cultural heritage, rich historical background, and picturesque landscapes that attract millions of domestic and international tourists every year. The country offers a multitude of tourism avenues ranging from eco-tourism and cruise trips to business travel, sports tourism, educational tourism, rural tourism, archaeology tourism, and medical tourism.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s 2021 rankings, India holds the 6th position globally in terms of Travel & Tourism’s contribution to the national GDP. The sector accounted for 5.8% of India’s overall GDP in 2021 and generated 32.1 million jobs, approximately 6.9% of the total employment nationwide.
Challenges Facing the Indian Tourism Sector
Despite the promising landscape, India’s tourism industry grapples with pressing issues that need immediate attention. Prominent among these are infrastructural constraints that limit quality tourist infrastructure like accommodations and transport facilities. Safety and security concerns, particularly concerning female tourists, also pose significant deterrents for potential visitors. Moreover, a glaring lack of standardization across the industry – from accommodation providers to tour operators and transport services – adversely impacts the tourist experience.
Government Initiatives for Tourism Development
In response to these challenges, several government initiatives have been introduced. Some of these include the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, Draft National Tourism Policy 2022, Dekho Apna Desh Initiative, and the National Green Tourism Mission. These initiatives aim to develop and standardize the industry, promote responsible and sustainable tourism practices, and encourage domestic tourism.
The UPSC Civil Services Examination has also picked up on such developments, posing previous question papers on topics related to the impact of development initiatives and tourism on the mountain ecosystem and the ecological carrying capacity of popular tourist states.
With these concerted efforts and strategic focus areas, the Indian tourism sector looks forward to transforming challenges into opportunities and accelerating growth.
