Group Roll 11046 to 11050 INDIAN TOURISM-AN EXPERIENCE HISTORY 1.

. Nearly five thousand years back flourished India's first major civilisation along the Indus River valley. The twin cities of Mohenjodaro and Harappa now in Pakistan were ruled by priests and held the rudiments of Hinduism. In 567 B.C. the founder of the Buddhist Religion Gautama Buddha was born. This was further propagated by emperor Ashoka, poiner of what is now modern India. In 7th century A.D. a group of Zoroastrians, or Parsees, landed in Gujarat and became a part of the large mix of religions in India today. In 1192, Mohammed of Ghori, a ruler from Afghanistan, came into India and introduced Islam. The Europeans - Portuguese, French, Dutch, Danish and British - started arriving in the early 1600s.Out of all of them British who eventually controlled most of India and finally made it one of their colonies. 2. As it can be observed that India has been one of the favourite destinations for people all over the world because of variety of seasons, mix of religion, culture or variety of landscapes. The variety offered by India has also been appreciated by the Indian community as well and as a result, tourism has evolved as a favourite recreation activity in the domestic market. 3. Tourism in India is the largest experienced service industry, with a contribution of 6.23% to the national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. India witness more than 5.5 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and 740 million domestic tourism visits. PLAYERS 4. The Indian tourism sector has been dominated by state sponsored tourism department with each state trying to encourage the domestic and international tourists to visit their specific state. The project will concentrate on the domestic tourists only. MARKET SHARE 5. The percentage of different states in domestic tourist visit in 2010 as per India Tourism Statistics promulgated by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India is shown below:-

GROWTH RATE 1

Group Roll 11046 to 11050 6. The domestic tourist visits is expected to increase with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.29% for the period spanning 2008-2015. ISSUES 7. The major issues which may come in way to achieve the desired CAGR are:(a) Inadequate Infrastructure. Non availability of point to point connectivity between major tourist destinations and metropolitan cities /state capitals is a major hindrance wherein people have to change mode of transport more than once to reach the desired destination. (b) Inadequate Marketing. Though adequate marketing is being done by individual state to promote their own state in tourism, however no effort is being made to enhance the idea that tourism can increase your horizons / learning experience. The sheer joy of seeing a historical monument which a child has studied in his/her textbook can increase his/her inquisitive level and thus increases the knowledge level. (c) Non-conducive law and order. In todays environment a non-conducive law and order condition can reduce the number of domestic tourists visits vis-a-vis a conducive environment can tilt the market share of domestic visits from one state to another. (d) Non implementation of Policy. Non implementation of policies issued by both central and state government is another issue plaguing the sector. MARKET ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS 8. The tourism sector is a leisure sector that invariably needs the support of disposable income and a conducive environment to flourish. Unlike an essential commodity viz food, it is highly dependent on the market environment. A slight change can alter the pattern of visits and can affect the long term prospects. The various factors which play an important role in shaping the market environment are as follows:Political, Economical, Social and Technological Analysis (PEST) 8.1 The Political factors affecting the sector are:(a) India has a stable democratic government with a specific ministry looking after tourism that acts a major support for the sector to flourish. (b) India as a nation is divided into various state and every state has its own tourism department. These departments often fight with each other to attract a higher tourist inflow into their respective states. The competition may lead to congestion at specific tourist place resulting in mismanagement. The mismanagement may lead to lesser inflows in future thus leading to a lower tourist visit. 8.2 The Economic factors affecting the sector are:-

Group Roll 11046 to 11050 (a) India is among the fastest growing economies of the world with an annualised GDP of 7%, which is expected to continue in the ensuing decade also. This ensures a rise in annual income and hence an increase in domestic tourism. (b) A higher economic growth also ensures increase investments in infrastructure, promotional expenditures, construction of newer tourist avenues, beautification of cities and towns etc. These also ensure a boost to the tourism industry. 8.3 The Social factors affecting the sector are:(a) India has a diverse mix of languages, cultures, traditions and cuisines; an ideal combination for cultural tourism and aids the sector as a whole. (b) Indian culture has always emphasized on respecting and entertaining its guests. The Sanskrit shloka ATHITHI DEVO BAHVAH (guest is god) is the essence of Indian tradition. This warmth and love for its guests has also boosted tourism. 8.4 As regards to technological factor, information technology plays a very important role in tour planning and its implementation. In the Indian context there are plenty of such web based portals such as makemytrip.com, yatra.com etc to facilitate the same. India being an IT superpower is capable for the future development also. PORTERS FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS 9.1 Rivalry among competing sellers in the industry. The Indian tourists now have more choice and options for travelling outside the country, thanks to the continued growth in low cost carriers. At times, it is even cheaper to travel to other countries in South East Asia than to other regions within India. As per leading business and market intelligence provider Euromonitor International, with departures by air accounting for more than 98% of all departures from India, and the sales for low-cost airlines growing by 115% in India last year, "storming ahead" of the industry average growth of 19.5%, it is evident that the domestic tourism is clearly facing a threat from these alternative destinations. 9.2 Threat of substitute industries. As discussed earlier, tourism is part of the leisure sector, so if the sector is not priced attractively, the same cash flow can get diverted to substitute low cost (relative) leisure providers viz. theme parks, malls etc. Also tourism requires a period of 5-6 days for any scheme whereas the substitutes provide a one day package which may be an attractive proposal in todays scenario of busy life. 9.3 Threat of New Entrants. As each state has its own tourism department, the threat of a new entrant can be ruled out except for a situation wherein a new state is formed from the existing state. 9.4 Bargaining power of customers. The Indian tourism industry provides a wide variety of choices for the Indian customer. Hence the customer has a huge bargaining power and as a result each package should be properly analysed w.r.t. value for money concept. Also with increase in disposable income, the taste of Indian customer for other basic necessities is also changing. This also restricts the cash flow in this sector as people start buying new cars, new houses etc, thus reducing the disposable income share for the tourism sector.

Group Roll 11046 to 11050 9.5 Bargaining power of suppliers. The major supplier in the sector in the state / district administration and if the same is not inclined for enhancing tourism, it may severely affect the growth of tourism in that particular state and may also decrease the overall tourist visit. INDUSTRY SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENT FACTORS 10. There is no ecosystem on our living planet that has not felt tourisms footprints. While the fact that tourism has negative impacts on the environment and on indigenous & local communities, practically nothing is being done to check these undesirable impacts. Tourism is increasingly being located in natural areas that are inaccessible, untouched, critical in terms of their biodiversity, and ecologically fragile. 11. Current national policies and tourism policies of various states and union territories in India prioritise infrastructure driven tourism, and rarely address issues of impacts, regulation, and management. The scenario is not very different with environmental and forest laws prevalent in the country today. Environmental regulation in tourism is weak, and even what exists is flouted with impunity, by both policy makers themselves and the tourism industry. 12. The National Environment Policy 2006 in fact promotes ecotourism in many fragile ecosystems and overlooks the negative impacts that tourism brings in. In the area of climate change again the Ministry of Tourism seems more concerned about the potential loss of tourist arrivals than about tourisms negative climate change impacts. Protected Areas (PAs) like national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and biosphere reserves are seeing increasing intensive tourism development under the guise of ecotourism. 13. While the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972 does allow tourists into Protected Areas, it clearly disallows commercial establishments. The Indian Board for Wildlife, the apex advisory body in the field of Wildlife Conservation in the country has resolved that lands falling within 10 km. of the boundaries of National Parks and Sanctuaries should be notified as eco-fragile zones. Despite this, a rash of tourism establishments are found cheek by jowl in the immediate periphery of every Protected Area of repute like Corbett, Ranthombore, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Rajiv Gandhi Nagarahole, Bandipura, Mudumalai, and Periyar. 14. Under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, non-forestry activity is prohibited in a forest area, except with the approval of the Central Government. Thus tourism enters the forests though a devious route! In this case, a proviso on explanation of non-forest purpose lays down that it does not include any work relating to or ancillary to conservation. Using the argument that revenues from tourism could potentially be used for conservation, tourism has pushed itself into forest areas, though it is clearly a non- forest purpose. 15. However, while rolling out the red carpet for tourism, the displacement of adivasis and traditional forest dwellers who have been the conservators of forests for centuries has not been seen as problematic by the same policy makers. The recent Forest Rights Act has been the only glimmer of hope for these forest people to claim their historic rights to the forest. The same can be talked about the Coastal Regions also. 16. The environment factors has to be taken care of to maintain an equilibrium between growth of tourism and environment. MARKET DRIVERS 17. The tourism sector of India is supported by both domestic and international tourists. The market drivers favouring domestic tourists are:4

Group Roll 11046 to 11050 (a) Rapidly increasing purchasing power of middle class. As Indian incomes rise, the shape of the country's income pyramid will also change dramatically. By 2025 over 23 million Indiansmore than the population of Australia todaywill number among the country's wealthiest citizens. (b) Better transport connectivity. With the government giving major boost to connectivity, be it road, rail or air, the tourism industry will be a major beneficiary. (c) Evolving life style. The Indian society is slowly opening up with respect to enjoyment factor; as a result, the tourism sector is bound to get a boost. 17.1 Similarly the market drivers favouring advent of international tourists are:(a) Favourable perception of brand India. India as a brand has got a world recognition for its astonishing cultures; vast geographic tapestry of mountains, rivers, plains, forest and deserts and a land of ancient traditions and countless mother tongues. For ever mysterious, forever enthralling, it is a destination quite unlike any other which makes it a favourable destination. (b) Development of internationally acclaimed destination such as Kerala and Rajasthan and also the Incredible India campaign. (c) Attractive Indian markets for foreign business travellers . The Tourism sector of Indian economy is at present experiencing a huge growth. The growth in the tourism industry is due to the rise in the arrival of more and more foreign tourists and the increase in the number of domestic tourists. MARKET SEGMENTS 18. The four basic segmentation of market are Geographic, Demographic, Psychographic and Behavioral. The tourism sector can be best segmented on demographic basis into the following segments:(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Unmarried Married without children Married with children Married grown up children (not dependent) International tourist

TYPES OF TOURISM 19. The World Travel and Tourism Council has reported that 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 thousands of years of history, its length, diversity 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 one of the largest and fastest growing medical tourism sector.The various types of tourism offered at India are:(a) Rural Tourism. Rural tourism showcases the rural life, art, culture and heritage of India, at rural locations in villages and benefits the local community economically and socially. It enables interaction between tourists and local population for a mutually 5

Group Roll 11046 to 11050 enriching experience. The Ministry of Tourism has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Endogenous Rural Tourism as pilot projects for capacity building. Within prescribed limits, this Ministry funds the hardware projects and the funds for capacity building were provided by the UNDP through this Ministry. The software component was implemented with the involvement of an NGO/Gram Panchayat identified by the UNDP in co-ordination with the District Collector and the local community. The Ministry also extends the scheme of Capacity Building for Service Providers (CBS) to other rural sites beyond those covered under partnership with the IJNDP. (b) Medical Tourism. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India participated at the International Tourism Bourse (1TB) at Berlin, where India was promoted as the new emerging healthcare destination. The Ministry also participated in New York Times Travel Show to promote Indian healthcare services and invite investment into India. Further, a new category of medical visa has been introduced which can be given for a specific purpose to foreign tourists coming to India for medical treatment. (c) Cruise Tourism. India, with its vast and beautiful coastline, virgin forests and undisturbed idyllic islands, long historical and cultural tradition of architecture, theatre and performing arts, is a high potential tourist destination for cruise tourists. The cruise tourism potential in the country should be assessed from the medium-term and longterm perspective with details of foreign and domestic stakeholders. Huge untapped potential lies in Cruise tourism in India such as development of major terminals, development of non-major ports, rationalization of duty structure for import of vessels, development of inland water cruise etc. (d) Nature Tourism. Nature tourism or ecotourism is a form of tourism involving visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds for ecological conservation, to directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, or to foster respect for different cultures and for human rights. Since the 1980s ecotourism has been considered a critical endeavor by environmentalists, so that future generations may experience destinations relatively untouched by human intervention. This can be further classified into:(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Wildlife Hill Stations Beaches Adventure tourism

(e) Wellness Tourism. India, as the world knows, is a Wellness destination. The potential of wellness systems, developed through centuries of wisdom of this ancient civilization would be fully tapped. This is being done by positioning India as a centre of Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha, Naturopathy, etc. together with the spiritual philosophy that was integral to the Indian way of life. The Ministry of Tourism has highlighted wellness in a big way through publicity and promotional activities. (f) Heritage and Cultural Tourism. Cultural heritage tourism (or just heritage tourism or diaspora tourism) is a branch of tourism oriented towards the cultural heritage of the location where tourism is occurring. Heritage tourism can be defined as travelling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past," and cultural heritage tourism is defined as travelling to experience 6

Group Roll 11046 to 11050 the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present." PREFERENCES 20. The preferences of the segments mentioned above can be broadly classied into:Nature Segment Rural Medical Cruise Wildlife Yes Yes Yes Hill Station Beach Yes Yes Adventure Yes Yes Wellness

Heritage and Cultural May be Yes

Unmarried Married (witout children) Married (with children) Married (grown up children) International BRANDING

No No

No No

Yes Yes May be No No

No No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

No Yes

Yes Yes

No No

Yes Yes

No Yes

No Yes

Yes Yes

Yes Yes

Branding Elements 21. The marketing of tourist spots / destination marketing is structured around the following branding elements:(a) Tourist - Defined in terms of the total needs and total experience desired by a potential visitor. The traveller is understood as someone who is seeking values such as leisure, relaxation, fun, personal enrichment. (b) Destination - An interconnected and complementary set of attractions, events, services and products which together create a total experience and value proposition to visitors, Within the picture of total experience, there is usually a balance of the unique and the complementary that is to say , interesting choices that together create a fun, convenient and personally valuable visit. A coordinated and consistent offering is not realized by accident, but instead through careful management. (c) Tourism Services Suppliers - Destination marketing is primarily accomplished by a large group of independent firms and agencies that work together to serve their independent interests. Suppliers include both private sector firms (e.g. hotel), and public sector agencies (e.g., a public transportation department). This inspires the need for a specialized public-private coordinator to not only coordinate strategy but also undertake the expense of demonstrating the benefits of coordination. It is this essential and necessary expense that is most forgotten when it is assumed that private firms and agencies will coordinate tourist policies. 7

Group Roll 11046 to 11050

(d) The citizen: The ultimate authority and beneficiary with regard to development of his home city or country. The first mandate of destination marketing is to satisfy the long term needs and wants of its natural constituents: the people who sustain the city and give it life. Citizens are asked to host visitors and to harmonize their citys qualities with the needs and expectations of prospective visitors. What are tourisms rewards to the citizens? Does it go beyond pure economics? (e) The public private interest coordinator - An organization that has the responsibility to coordinate and facilitate the interests and actions of all the concerned parties in destination marketing. In other words, its job is to increase the potential benefits available to all the parties. Brand Image 22. There isnt a commodity out there that gets to charge a premium-unless there are no competitors. Commodities are complete substitutes. No one cares if you swap out one for another, because theyre all the same. There is little differentiation. A beach here is basically the same as a beach there. A lift and lodging deal here is the same as a deal over there. Destination, the fundamental unit on which all the many complex dimensions of tourism are based is the basic unit of analysis in tourism .A focal point in the development and delivery of tourism products and the implementation of tourism policy is done through destination marketing. The success of a destination, to a great extent, is reliant on its image. Knowledge and understanding the needs of the new tourist through branding and positioning of the destination would help in making a good image of the destination in the eyes of the tourist. Overall a synergy between all the stakeholders in creating the destination vision is required for successfully marketing a destination. There is an immense complexity involved in capturing the essence of a multi attributed destination with a succinct and focused brand position, in a way that is both meaningful to the multiplicity of target audiences of interest to stakeholders and that which could effectively differentiate the destination from competing nations. It has been proven that positive brand images have helped several economies boost their exports, attract tourism and visitors, residents and investment. 23. India has already started Incredible India campaign which is running successfully & reaping good rewards. But Indias counterparts in south-east Asia already have the early mover advantage. So what are the factors that are to be looked into more closely while India enters the second phase of its tourism branding? It is important in this phase to build onto already running campaign. The challenges that lie ahead are plentiful and there needs a proper integrated branding strategy rather than numerous isolated efforts. It is also imperative to get to the root of many issues such as infrastructure, maintaining heritage sites etc. while we are moving ahead aggressively with branding. Implementing best international practices in tourism development is one of the important tasks that should be looked into. 24. Developing a strong image for any brand requires a carefully planned brand strategy based on: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Positioning 8 A well defined and unique brand personality Selection of the correct positioning strategies Themed' product development Consistent and appropriate advertising and promotion Careful brand guardianship

Group Roll 11046 to 11050

25. It's a crowded world we live in, and despite recessions, layoffs, and tumbling revenue projections, people will still make time for getting away. A strong position will help you create emotional, evocative connections with the consumer. Those connections are built on insights grounded in the truth, and will help you find meaningful differentiation in your category. 26. Vision and brand are a fundamental part of commercial activity, but does a city need a vision and a brand for tourism development? The answer is yes because destinations like companies must communicate to a broad market of consumers what they are, why they offer what they do, and the consistency and quality of their offerings. This is accomplished through the brand and through the vision. Ultimately, a companys vision is the most visible part of that companys marketing strategy and the same is true of cities Destination brand essence is a term used frequently in destination marketing to indicate the synergy of vision and branding in strategic marketing. 27. To benefit from the tourism sector, the Indian states too have to switch over from a reactive mode to a proactive approach. India ( all states included) , endowed with natural beauty, culture, heritage, is one of the most demanding and fascinating tourist destinations in Asia. However, for a country bursting with tourism opportunities, we have been slightly slow on the uptake, as far as promoting these destinations go. Some innovative practices and strategies in tourism marketing are required to build the brand India- a nation that can offer a stunning range of destinations and experiences.- making it a truly Incredible India As tourism destinations become more substitutable due to increasing competition in global tourism markets, destination personality is seen as a viable metaphor for building destination brands and crafting a unique identity for tourism places. Dubai is one such example where within 10 years this destination has managed to change from a desert to a dreamland. 28. To brand the destination in existing and emerging markets is the responsibility of the tourism bodies promoting those destinations. This has brought in the concept of Destination Branding/positioning. The challenges of positioning a destination for a country like India is a big task, given the diversity within the nation, as well as the diversity in the target markets. A comprehensive Destination Branding / Positioning, thus, goes a long way in shaping perceptions of potential travellers. The brand personality was named "Incredible India." Essentially, 'Incredible India' is a positioning and branding strategy that differentiates India in the global market place. It was developed so that all tourism offices, tour operators and organizations promoting India as a destination could market it in a unified and consistent manner. 'Incredible India' has been built on a solid research foundation that resulted in a set of descriptors for the personality and values of India and an "essence" that captures and underlying spirit of the country. Therefore, 'Incredible India' captured its unique spirituality, the colours of its landscapes and the distinctive character of its people. The positioning of India was that while others claimed breathtaking locales, the mysticism of the east, the draw of the civilization, the call of the wild, India was all that and much more. All it needs is a synergy of vision and branding to develop a more comprehensive marketing strategy agreeable to the leaders, tourists, citizens, suppliers and public-private partnership to make it an India that is truly incredible in experience. 29.

Group Roll 11046 to 11050

Indias Tourism brand compared to mature countries The diagram above shows two life cycles, one of Indian tourism and other of mature tourist destinations. As depicted in above Life Cycle diagram for tourism brand, India at present is in early growth stage while most of tourism developed countries are in maturity stage. India took higher Introduction period because of prior lack of branding its tourism. But now is the time to really have a jumpstart by properly chalked out plans. So by the end of next 5 years we would be on fast track growth period. During these 5 years India has golden opportunity to make it big on tourists list. So the tourism branding vision for India should be - To be in top 10 tourist destinations in the world in next 5years. Indias tourism branding vision should be in two phases, viz, short term (for 2 years) & long term (for 5 years). First phase broadly consist of mainly capacity building, infrastructure development, generating awareness related to niche areas like Ecotourism. Also domestic tourism should be promoted vehemently so as drive internal tourism movement first before forging onto international tourism development. 30. The branding vision for India: Short Term (in 2 Years) Capability building, especially for Health Tourism Capacity building Infrastructure, manpower by benchmarking with competitors Product development & packaging Long Term (in 5 Years) Mature Market development in Europe & US followed by development of new markets Strengthening product relevance to advanced markets Full-fledged branding & promotional initiatives(Integrated Marketing Communication) Use of Information Technology (e Tourism) to complement branding and promotional initiatives Inducing private sector participation

Market development in mainland India

Inducting local population into the scheme of things Developing Ecotourism awareness Branding in Social Media

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Group Roll 11046 to 11050 31. The size of the place doesnt matter when it comes to an innovative online branding and marketing strategy. It provides a highly effective means of reaching prospective customers economically through attractive designs and navigation, plus search engine optimization and clever linking. The Internet has opened a world for the countries to create a brand for themselves. The internet can be used as a medium for information dissimilation of features offered by the country. This could be done through platforms like websites, other online support like merchandise for sale, offering integrated packages, travel booking facilities. BEST PRACTISES 32. A tourism best practice is an innovative policy, strategy, programme, process or practice that is shown to produce superior results. Documented best practices are useful in formulation of tourism strategies to improve the tourism performance through increased competitiveness. The sharing of Best Practices allows State Governments to consider how to adapt the experiences of other states in planning, marketing, maintenance and implementation of the tourism development plan for their states. 33. The Department of Tourism in the states has responsibility for implementation of tourism projects funded by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the projects identified by them under their respective state tourism policy. In Indian context, the Department of Tourism is not fully set to implement some of the infrastructure project; it depends on other departments such as Municipalities, forest department, PWD, police department (for safety and security), etc. To acknowledge the primacy of the role of the private sector, the State Governments are now working in partnership with the private sector, as the facilitator and the catalyst. 34. The varied data and information that are available to develop tourism ensuring best practises are as follows:(a) Conservation and Sustainability of Resources . In most of the cities, pressure on infrastructure is high due to large population size. Most of the urban centres, especially if it is a tourist destination, face acute shortage of water, power and lack basic sanitary facilities. Harmony between development of tourism destination and environmental improvement in cities is extremely essential. Conservation of water or power savings, water recycling, reducing or avoiding wastages are some of the major components that have been practiced and enhanced by the government. (b) Conservation and Protection of Environment . Conservation and protection of environment along with promotion of tourism is another best practise that should be ensured by a new entrant. A best practise under this study in conservation and protection of environment is the Special Tourism Zone in Kerala where the state government has prepared detailed guidelines to regulate the development in Special Tourism Zone in the state. (c) Impact on Tourism Products Tourism Product maintenance and development practises. Tourism product at the destination comprises of all those attractions, facilities, and services used or visited during a stay, which appeals to the visitors. (d) Maintenance of Tourism-Friendly Monuments Preservation and Conserva tion of Heritage Centres. The maintenance of heritage centres is another best practise that has been evolved by various states notably among them are 11

Group Roll 11046 to 11050 conservation and preservation of Fort Kochi Heritage Zone, the first phase of restoration work undertaken at the Ajanta -Ellora caves, the Adopt a Monument Scheme in Rajasthan is an innovative package, creation of Heritage Funds eg. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and National Culture Fund (NCF) of the Ministry of Culture, along with Indian Oil Corporation Limited, have collaborated to form a fund known as the Indian Oil Fund (IOF), Gujarat Ar c ha eo l o gi c al Monuments Signage (GAMS) project under Cul tur al Heritage Interpretation Program and various other such initiatives. (e) Institutional Development . The institutional development can be classified into Organizational Set Up and Function of Tourism Department, Inter State Coordination Formation of Regional Tourism / Circuit Tourism, Partnership with Service Providers, Interstate Package Tour, Rationalization of Taxes, Interest Subsidy and Private Sector Participation. (f) Tourism Marketing Development . Responsible marketing is necessary to inform visitors and create realistic expectations. Keralas strategy is attributed to the focused marketing and strong networking with travel, tourism and trade in the identified selected markets. Website is an important component of tourism marketing strategy of any state. Websites of 12 states were analysed on various parameters, like user friendliness, graphic design, aesthetics and beauty, functionality, navigation and links, search facilities, interactivity, updation of site, relevance of content, innovation, creativity, integration, etc. Out of these 12 States, the users almost strongly agree that Keralas website satisfies all the parameters that are chosen to analyse the best website. Organising Cultural Events / Fair and Festivals provide unique ways of presenting the cultural glimpse of a region. (g) Local Impact on Society. Tourism is a sector with a tremendous multiplier effect in employment generation and hence should be leveraged to local society. Many tourism development projects have focused on involvement of community in its development and implementation stage. Particularly, peoples participation is much more visible in maintaining the environmental sensitive areas, where, tourism is the core activity. Almost all the State Governments have established educational institutions to give tourism related training and degrees. Training programs like Diploma /Degree in Hotel Management to guides, porters, running of paying guest houses by the local youth, are being taken up. SUMMARY 35. The tourism sector is in its nascent stage of development and needs both private and public partnerships to nurture into a matured sector. The threats as brought out in the initial stage of the report needs to be tackled by the government and private party alike. India could be a superpower in the tourism sector if it is able to harness the opportunities and do a planned revamp of its infrastructure and security environment.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Indian Tourism Statistics 2010 released by Market Research Division, Ministry of Tourism, Govt.of India. 2. Documentation of Best practises adopted by state governments for the development of tourism, Vol II-final report, State profile and tourism development released by Market Research Division, Ministry of Tourism. Govt of India

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