RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Research and Development Department

Research and Development Department

Indian tourism market profile

The tourism industry in India is at an unprecedented rise. Number of foreign tourists, as well as share in GDP has increased significantly. The number of foreign tourists in July 2007 was 5 million, according to the country's tourism minister S. Banerjee, in a survey conducted by Conde Nast Traveller, India has been named the most attractive tourist destination. India offers a whole bunch of travel of inviting beaches of Goa to the beauty of the Himalayas. Numerous festivals in the country can offer exclusive India tour triumph.

Most foreign tourists come to India from UK, USA, Canada, France and Germany. Number of foreign tourists increased by 5.5%. The increase in foreign visitors to India, recorded even in the distant Indian states. According to Banerjee, it is planned that by 2010 the number of tourists will reach 10 million to the Government of the country has yet to resolve many of the shortcomings of infrastructure, such as poor connectivity, lack of hotel rooms and qualified guides. However, the Minister of Tourism of India says that India's tourism a bright future (Blizzard, 2006, p. 43).

The greatest advantage of India is its rich cultural heritage, history, exotic places, and rich architectural legacy with classy monuments, sublime temples and four-season weather. India is a veritable treasure trove of natural endowments like snow covered Himalayas, golden beaches, 483 enchanting sanctuaries, 89 national parks, vast stretch of coast lines and a fascinating mélange of culture and life styles. It is also a respiratory of various art forms that prospered from ancient periods, from paintings, carvings, sculptures in stone and metal, caves, to its traditional handicrafts and exquisitely designed jewellary.

The most recent trend in tourism is the Medical Tourism. Medical tourism can be broadly defined as provision of cost effective medical care in collaboration with various blends of tourism, i.e. service, comfort and recreation. Medical tourism is the most visible face of the increasing global trade in health care services. The key “selling point” of the medical tourism industry is its “cost effectiveness” and its combination with the attraction of tourism (Blizzard, 2006, p. 43).

The Slogan thus is “First World Treatment at Third World Prices”. In this regard India is emerging as a destination for health care. India has an edge over the other countries, as it churns out over 20,000 medical practitioners a year. Facilities available at India are comparable with best in world like Escorts and Apollo Hospitals. The cost effectiveness of various treatment procedures in India and its geographical proximity with the East Asian nations has led to a growth in the inflow of visitors in the recent years.

On the other hand India has lot to offer in this area, to the East Asian visitors as Buddhist destinations in India are very well spread in northern and the northeastern part of the country. Some of the important Buddhist destinations in India are Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Vaishili and Rajghir in ...