TOURISM AND ECONOMY

The tourism industry is believed to be the world's largest industry, and as such, involves a vast array of public and private sector organizations. It is important to look at the volume and value of the tourism industry first, so that the reader can appreciate the scope of tourism in the country. Identifying the roles and policies of the public organizations, will show the nature of government involvement, and it will also highlight the recent changes to tourism structure. This will give the reader a broader picture of the country tourist industry, and will allow an understanding of the motives behind government involvement, which will provide the focus. Tourism in India is the largest service industry, with a contribution of 6.23% to the national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. India witnesses more than 17.9 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and 740 million domestic tourism visits. The tourism industry in India generated about 100 US$ billion in 2008 and that is expected to increase to US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4% annual growth rate. In the year 2010, 17.9 million foreign tourists visited India. Majority of foreign tourists come from USA and UK. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are the top 5 states to receive inbound tourists. Domestic tourism in the same year was massive at 740 million. Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra received the big share of these visitors. Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency to formulate national policies and programmes for the development and promotion of tourism. In the process, the Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector including various Central Ministries/agencies, the State Governments/ union Territories and the representatives of the private sector. Concerted efforts are being made to promote new forms of tourism such as rural, cruise, medical and eco-tourism. The Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency for the development and promotion of tourism in India and maintains the Incredible India campaign. According to World Travel and Tourism Council, India will be a tourism hotspot from 20092018 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. India has a growing medical tourism sector. The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi were expected to significantly boost tourism in India. India is very diverse probably the most diverse of countries that you will find on this earth. We have some of the coldest places in Kashmir, A place that has highest rainfall in world Cherrapunji, and also one if the driest places on the Earth The Thar Desert. Adding to that More than half of Indian boundary is home to beautiful beaches. And dont forget that Northern part of India hosts Himalayan Ranges snow capped mountains.

There are some following tourist destinations in India given below:

AGRA
Agras Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings in the world, the mausoleum of Shah Jahans favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world, and one of three World Heritage Sites in Agra, Completed in 1653, and the Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal king Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Finished in marble, it is perhaps Indias most fascinating and beautiful monument. This perfectly symmetrical monument took 22 years (1630-1652) of hard labour and 20,000 workers, masons and jewelers to build and is set amidst landscaped gardens.

JAIPUR
Jaipur is also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Jaipur is a very famous tourist and education destination in India. Lots of people flock to Jaipur to view the various forts and monuments in Jaipur which reflect

its glorious past. Tourism is a significant part of Jaipurs economy. Some of the worlds best hotels, fort, and monuments are located here. For e.g. Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar etc.

Goa
Goa is Famous for its pristine beaches; in fact 90% of all the tourism in Goa happens only for its beautiful beaches in Coastal Areas. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the splendid climate. In the summertime (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays. In 2008 there were more than three million tourists reported to have visited Goa, more than half million of whom were from foreign visitors. In fact, many foreigners have made Goa as their home for its laid-back and relaxed lifestyle!

KASHMIR
Kashmir was once called Heaven on Earth, and once of the most beautiful places in the world. However, in last couple of decades, terrorism has faded its charm A place home to Himalayan Ranges. The State of Jammu & Kashmir has main three geographical regions known as The Lesser Himalayas or the Jhelum Valley (Kashmir), The Inner Himalayas or The Indus Valley (Ladakh & Frontier areas) also called TransHimalayas, and The Outer-Himalayas . The area of Jammu & Kashmir is 2, 22,236 square kilometers.

DELHI
Delhi is the capital city of India. A fine blend of old and new, ancient and modern, Delhi is a melting pot of cultures and religions. Delhi has been the capital of numerous empires that ruled India, making it rich in history. The rulers left behind their trademark architectural styles. Delhi currently has many renowned historic monuments and

landmarks such as the Tughlaqabad fort, Qutub Minar, Purana Quila, Lodhi Gardens, Jama Masjid, Humayun's tomb, Red Fort etc.

Adventure Tourism

Skiing in Manali, Himachal Pradesh River rafting and kayaking in Himalayas Mountain climbing in Himalayas Rock climbing in Madhya Pradesh Skiing in Gulmarg or Auli Boat racing in Bhopal Paragliding in Maharashtra

Tourism has been found to be beneficial as well as harmful for local economies. Experiences of destination vary in this regard. However, experience has shown that if tourism is not developed and managed properly negative impacts will take over and kill the destination in the long run. The Travel and Tourism industry is a highly sensitive industry. So, if the economy of that area is totally depends on tourism it will be very harmful not only for that area but country also.

The Economic impact of Tourism

Some positive impacts are: Tourists contribute to sales, profits, tax revenues, and income in an area. Creates more jobs More locals will be employed = more money Contributes to income and standard living Improves local economy Increases employment opportunities Increases tax revenues Improves transport infrastructure

Services such as tourism act as an economic shock absorber helping to support communities, particularly in rural areas, through economic drought, as services are more recession-proof than goods. The tourism industry has little dependence on urban centers and imports to sustain tourism activity. Visitors inject money into the community by paying for products, services and experiences; largely food, accommodation, travel and entertainment. While the greatest economic benefit is gained from overnight visitors, substantial benefit can also be extracted from the rough traffic. Tourism provides opportunities for regional development particularly for regional areas undergoing structural change. Being a labor intensive industry, with the right encouragement tourism can deliver great employment and training opportunities particularly for young people. Tourism is often structured around existing points of interest, be it natural, heritage, cultural experiences or economic activities. Tourism development often brings a range of benefits to host communities. Improved infrastructure (power, water, and telecommunications), access, services (banks, transport) and new investments, all serve to enhance the lifestyles of communities. . Community support will follow developments that service the community and provide ongoing benefits. Tourism can help foster a sense of community pride as visitors choose to visit a location for a reason.

Negative Economic Impact of Tourism The negative economic impact of tourism can lead: Inflation Leakage Infrastructure and incidental cost Economic dependence, the country can generally become dependent on the tourism industry Jobs involved in the industry of tourism are seasonal and not well paid; this can be very dangerous for countries that become dependent on tourism as their main source of revenue. Seasonal jobs such as these could then possibly lead to high rates of unemployment

Inflation can raise in general level of prices or fall in the purchasing power of money. Therefore, tourism can increase the value or price of land, building etc. Leakage is the high proportion of the money spent by tourists that leaves the country.

Thus, leakage can cause in 3 different ways such as: 1. Tourist purchase of goods and services that have been imported. 2. Hotels and other tourism related businesses and organization import goods/foods as the Local product are not available or not up to the required standards. 3. Profits are repatriated by foreign owners of hotels and other services.

Economic Dependence.
Countries that rely on heavily on tourism industry can be dangerous; this can lead the tourism to changes overnight because of the natural disaster, terrorism, changing consumer taste and economic recession in the source of the country.

The Environmental Impact of Tourism

The quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism. However, tourisms relationship with the environment is complex. It involves many activities that can have adverse environmental effects. Many of these impacts are linked with the construction of general infrastructure such as roads and airports, and of tourism facilities, includes resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses and marinas. The negative impacts of tourism development can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which it depends. On the other hand, tourism has the potential to create beneficial effects on the environment by contributing to environmental protection and conservation. It is a way to raise awareness of environmental values and it can serve as a tool to finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importance.

Negative Environmental Impact of Tourism

Negative impacts from tourism occur when the level of visitor use is greater than the environments ability to cope with this use within the acceptable limits of change. Uncontrolled conventional tourism poses potential threats to many natural areas around the world. It can put enormous pressure on an area and lead to impacts such as: soil erosion, increased pollution, discharges into the sea, natural habitat loss, increased pressure on endangered species and heightened vulnerability to forest fires. It often puts a strain on water resources, and it can force local populations to compete for the use of critical resources.

Pollution
Tourism can cause the same forms of pollution as any other industry: Air emissions Noise Solid waste and littering Releases of sewage Oil and chemicals Even architectural/visual pollution

Physical impact of tourism development

Construction activities and infrastructure development Deforestation and intensified or unsustainable use of land Marina development Coral reefs

Physical impacts from tourist activities

Trampling Anchoring and other marine activities

Alteration of ecosystems by tourist activities

The tourism industry can contribute to conservation through: Direct financial contributes Contributes to government revenues

Tourism has the potential to increase public appreciation of the environment and to spread awareness of environmental problems when it brings people into closer contact with nature and the environment. This confrontation may heighten awareness of the value of nature and lead to environmentally conscious behavior and activities to preserve the environment.

The Social and Cultural Impact of Tourism

Tourism is a fast growing industry and a valuable sector, contributing significantly to the UAE economy. Tourism affects the economy and lives of communities and has a proven to a lifesaver for many destinations. There are real and perceived fears that are sometimes attributed to tourism and largely related to poorly managed or mass tourism ventures. As with any economic activity, tourism can have negative impacts on communities. These must be minimized and measured against the benefits that tourism brings. There is some concern that tourism development may lead to destinations losing their cultural identity by catering for the perceived needs of tourists. Sustainable tourism is thoughtful tourism. It is derived, not contrived. The benefits of the social and cultural impact of tourism is the tourists often are interested in some cultures there for visits the country. This impact also causes problems like for example the country might lose their culture and locals might lose their identity The most important overall strategy is The Tourism has many hidden costs, which can have unfavorable economic effects on the host community. Often, developed countries are better able to profit from tourism than poor ones. Whereas the least developed countries have the most urgent need for income, employment and general

rise of standard of living by means of tourism, they are, unfortunately, least able to realize these benefits. Among the reasons for this are large scale transfer of tourism revenues out of the host country and exclusion of local businesses and products. National and local governments, the industry and trade unions have a key role to play in disseminating information to local communities about tourism-related development plans to enable community members to create successful income generating activities. Government policies to encourage a mix foreign and local investment and joint ventures, to improve access to credit for tourism-related local businesses, to increase government assistance of the agricultural sector, to allocate preferential landing and takeoff slots to national carriers, and to engage in appropriate promotion activities should also be considered. To decrease financial leakages in tourism, it would be important to increase local ownership of tourism-related businesses, build up tourism infrastructure using local investors and avoid purely foreign investment. To achieve these goals is to engage in transparent, democratic and gender-balanced consultation and decision-making processes at the local level in destination areas. Among organizations and groups to be involved in tourism development - stakeholder groups - are national, provincial and local governments, tourism boards, the tourism industry, local communities and the diversity of their member groups, trade unions, non-government organizations (NGOs), community based organizations (CBOs), women, Indigenous Peoples, faith communities, and others. An appropriate planning and management approach needs to involve all stakeholders. To allow for meaningful participation, there is a great need to improve information availability and capacity building for participation. Different member groups of local communities. Systematic processes to promote community participation in tourism should become an important part of all externally aided tourism projects, national tourist policies and strategies and, where relevant, in conservation, forestry and coastal zone management projects.