The New Avatar of Tourism in India

It is a boom time for tourism in India. Tourists and business travelers from worldwide are increasingly inclined to choose India the country their next travel destination. A golden period for hospitality and tour and travel related services such as aviation and transport, it can be said that the promotion campaign of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Incredible India is now reaping its rewards. Besides, the development of infrastructure and world-class facilities at major tourist attractions of India has also been a big lure for tourists who dream of exotic and unique holiday experiences but do not want to compromise on the modern-day comforts and amenities.

The Readers Travel Awards by the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler ranked India No. 1 in the list of world's top travel destinations in 2007. A great achievement for Indian tourism, these awards are considered Oscar of the Travel Industry. With a proven identity of world-class tourism destination, India lures tourists with its rich architecture, natural and cultural heritage, biodiversity, variety of natural habitats and landscapes, and the marked contrasts of all aspects of life in general - ranging from languages to cuisines to handicrafts to religious beliefs and even to arts, dance and music.

Rajasthan Tourism and Kerala Tourism stands at the top of preferred travel destinations in India. Royal Rajasthan has inculcated an image of opulence and splendor by highlighting its forts and palaces. Besides heritage tourism, it also benefits from cultural tourism that promotes Pushkar Camel Fair and Desert Festival as its highlights. Kerala Tours flaunts its natural heritage of extensive coastline, splendid tropical beaches, fantastic backwaters, amazing lagoons and idyllic Ayurvedic resorts and spas. The classical and folk art, dance and music performances enliven evenings of tourists that opt for premium and deluxe luxury tour packages.

Indian government too has geared up to give a boost and incentive to tourism sector by introducing tourist-friendly visa regime, better and efficient immigration services, being a catalyst to the development of hotels and travel related services and being liberal to the aviation sector. It is expected that the number of international tourists visiting India will swell to 1.6 billion by 2020 and hence, tourism has taken the centre stage in India's economy. Besides historical structures and world heritage sites, India is doing its best to promote its wildlife adventures, rural tourism, arts and crafts tourism, honeymoon tourism and health tourism.

Remote unseen Northeastern states and islands of Andaman and Nicobar are also seeing a surge of interest in domestic and international tourists. Incredible India campaign has brought recognition to already known tourist icons of India such as Khajuraho Temples, Taj Mahal, Hawa Mahal, Goa Beaches, and Golden Temple of Amritsar as well as to lesser known marvels such as Sanchi Stupa, Kaziranga National Park, and spotlights of Gujarat, Bihar and Orissa. Attracting most sophisticated and avid travelers from all over the world, India offers a variety of tourism options that are foreign to westerners and have an Oriental beauty that is quite different from China and Thailand.