DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACT OF TOURISM

INDUSTRY IN INDIA

INTRODUCTION

“The one land that all men desire to see & having seen
once, by even glimpse, would not even glimpse for the shows of all the rest
of the world combined” is said by Mark Twain on India. The Macmillan
Dictionary defines tourism as the business of providing services for people
who are travelling for their holiday. Wikipedia defines it as travel for
recreational, leisure or business purposes. The OECD glossary of statistical
terms defined tourism as the activities of persons travelling to and staying
in places outside their usual environment for not more than one
consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the
exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited.

Over the decades, tourism has experienced continued

growth and deepening diversification to become one of the fastest growing
economic sectors in the world. Tourism has become a thriving global
industry with the power to shape developing countries in both positive and
negative ways. No doubt it has become the fourth largest industry in the
global economy.

Similarly, in developing countries like India tourism has

become one of the major sectors of the economy, contributing to a
large proportion of the National Income and generating huge
employment opportunities. It has become the fastest growing service
industry in the country with great potentials for its further expansion and
diversification. However, there are pros and cons involved with the
development of tourism industry in the country.

DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM IN INDIA

Tourism development in India has passed through many

phases.
 Development of Tourism Industry in India

 Early Development

The first conscious and organized efforts to promote tourism

in India were made in 1945 when a committee was set up by the
Government under the Chairmanship of Sir John Sargent, the then
Educational Adviser to the Government of India (Krishna, A.G.,
1993). Thereafter, the development of tourism was taken up in a
planned manner in 1956 coinciding with the Second Five Year Plan.
The approach has evolved from isolated planning of single unit facilities
in the Second and Third Five Year Plans. The Sixth Plan marked the
beginning of a new era when tourism began to be considered a
major instrument for social integration and economic
development. But it was only after the 80’s that tourism activity gained
momentum. The Government took several significant steps. A National
Policy on tourism was announced in 1982. Later in 1988, the
National Committee on Tourism formulated a comprehensive plan for
achieving a sustainable growth in tourism. In 1992, a National Action
Plan was prepared and in 1996 the National Strategy for Promotion
of Tourism was drafted. In 1997, the New Tourism Policy recognizes
the roles of Central and State governments, public sector
undertakings and the private sector in the development of tourism
were. The need for involvement of Panchayati Raj institutions, local
bodies, non-governmental organizations and the local youth in the
creation of tourism facilities has also been recognized.

 Present Situation and Features of Tourism in India

Today tourism is the largest service industry in India,

with a contribution of 6.23% to the National GDP and providing 8.78%
of the total employment. India witness’s more than 5 million annual
foreign tourist arrivals and 562 million domestic tourism visits. The
tourism industry in India generated about US$100 billion in 2008 and
that is expected to increase to US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4%
annual growth rate. 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 2009-2018, having the highest 10-year
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growth potential. India currently holds the 12th position in Asia and
68th position in the list of overall in the list of the world's most
attractive tourist destinations, as per the Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Report 2011 by the World Economic Forum (WEF). It
is ranked the 14th best tourist destination for its natural resources and
24th for its cultural resources, with many World Heritage Sites, both
natural and cultural, rich fauna, and strong creative industries in the
country. India also bagged 37th rank for its air transport network. The
India travel and tourism industry ranked 5th in the long-term (10-
year) growth and is expected to be the second largest employer in the
world by 2019. The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi are expected
to significantly boost tourism in India further. Moreover, India has
been ranked the "best country brand for value-for-money" in the
Country Brand Index (CBI) survey conducted by Future Brand, a
leading global brand consultancy. India also claimed the second place
in CBI's "best country brand for history", as well as appears among the
top 5 in the best country brand for authenticity and art & culture, and
the fourth best new country for business. India made it to the list of
"rising stars" or the countries that are likely to become major tourist
destinations in the next five years, led by the United Arab Emirates,
China, and Vietnam.

The increasing numbers of both domestic as well as

international tourists have been very encouraging for the Indian travel and
hospitality sector which has nearly doubled during the last three years.
The tourism and hospitality industry experienced a healthy growth
trend of 24.6 per cent during 2009-2010 as compared to 2008-2009.
The total number of foreign tourists in the country in 2010 was 5.58
million as compared to 5.17 million in 2009, registering a rise of 8.1
per cent, according to the Market Research Division of the Ministry of
Tourism.

Tourist Attractions in India

India is a country known for its lavish treatment

to all visitors, no matter where they come from. Its visitor-friendly
traditions, varied life styles and cultural heritage and colourful fairs
and festivals held abiding attractions for the tourists. The other

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attractions include beautiful beaches, forests and wild life and

landscapes for eco tourism; snow, river and mountain peaks for
adventure tourism; technological parks and science museums for
science tourism; centers of pilgrimage for spiritual tourism; heritage,
trains and hotels for heritage tourism. Yoga, ayurveda and natural
health resorts and hill stations also attract tourists. The Indian
handicrafts particularly, jewellery, carpets, leather goods, ivory and
brass work are the main shopping items of foreign tourists. It is
estimated through survey that nearly forty percent of the tourist
expenditure on shopping is spent on such items. Despite the economic
slowdown, medical tourism in India is the fastest growing segment of
tourism industry, according to the market research report “Booming
Medical Tourism in India”. The report adds that India offers a great
potential in the medical tourism industry. Factors such as low cost, scale
and range of treatments provided in the country add to its attractiveness as
a medical tourism destination.

Initiatives to Boost Tourism

Some of the recent initiatives taken by the

Government to boost tourism include grant of export house status to the
tourism sector and incentives for promoting private investment in the form
of Income Tax exemptions, interest subsidy and reduced import duty. The
hotel and tourism-related industry has been declared a high priority
industry for foreign investment which entails automatic approval of direct
investment up to 51 per cent of foreign equity and allowing 100 per cent
non-resident Indian investment and simplifying rules regarding the grant
of approval to travel agents, tour operators and tourist transport operators.
The first-ever Indian Tourism Day was celebrated
on January 25, 1998. The Year 1999 was celebrated as Explore India
Millennium Year by presenting a spectacular tableau on the cultural
heritage of India at the Republic Day Parade and organising India
Tourism Expo in New Delhi and Khajuraho. Moreover, the campaign
‘Visit India Year 2009’ was launched at the International Tourism
Exchange in Berlin , aimed to project India as an attractive destination
for holidaymakers.

1. Visit India Year 2009

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The initiatives taken to minimize the negative impact of the

global economic slowdown included a “Visit India 2009” scheme
launched in collaboration with all stakeholders including airlines,
hotels, tour operators, State Governments for incentivising travel to
India, organizing Road Shows in important tourist generating
markets overseas, arranging familiarisation tours to India for
international travel trade and media representatives to keep them
updated on safety / security conditions in the country and
media campaigns in the print, electronic, online and outdoor media.

2. Other Promotional Activities

 The Ministry of Tourism, through the India tourism office in
London undertook an advertising campaign in the print and
outdoor media in London to coincide with the Queens Baton Relay
for the Commonwealth Games 2010, which was flagged off from
the Buckingham Palace on 29th October 2009

 Other promotional initiatives undertaken during the year include

“Incredible India” Events organized in Russia in September,
2009 as part of the celebrations of the “Year of India in Russia”
and a major India promotion event “India Calling” organized in
association with the National Geographic Society at Hollywood
Bowl and California Plaza in Los Angeles in September 2009.

 India tourism offices overseas have participated in approximately

104 Travel Fairs and Exhibitions in important tourist generating
markets the world over as well as in emerging and potential
markets to showcase and promote the tourism products of the
country. These include the major international Travel Fairs such
as the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, PATA Travel Mart in
Hangzhou, China, ITB – Asia in Singapore Top Resa in Paris, and
World Travel Market (WTM) in London.

3. National Tourism Policy 2002

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In order to develop tourism in India in a systematic manner, position

it as a major engine of economic growth and to harness its direct and
multiplier effects for employment and poverty eradication in an
environmentally sustainable manner, the National Tourism Policy
was formulated in the year 2002. Broadly, the “Policy” attempts to:-

 Position tourism as a major engine of economic growth;

 Harness the direct and multiplier effects of tourism for employment
generation, economic development and providing impetus to rural
tourism;
 Focus on domestic tourism as a major driver of tourism growth.
 Position India as a global brand to take advantage of the burgeoning
global travel trade and the vast untapped potential of India as a
destination;
 Acknowledges the critical role of private sector with government
working as a pro-active facilitator and catalyst;
 Create and develop integrated tourism circuits based on India’s
unique civilization, heritage, and culture in partnership with States,
private sector and other agencies; and
 Ensure that the tourist to India gets physically invigorated, mentally
rejuvenated, culturally enriched, spiritually elevated and “feel India
from within”.

Growth Trends

Tourism and hospitality being the largest service

sector in the country, contributes around 6.23 per cent to the national GDP
and 8.78 per cent of the total employment in the country. The country
welcomes around 6 million international visitors every year and nearly 562
million domestic tourists.

The Union Ministry of Tourism compiles a monthly estimate on the foreign

tourist arrivals (FTAs) and foreign exchange earnings (FEE) based on the
total number of foreign visitors in the country. The important trends in
the sector for June 2011 based on the report by the Ministry of
Tourism are as follows:

 The total number of tourists visiting the country during June

2011 were 0.39 million as compared to 0.37 million during June
2010 and 0.352 million in June 2009.

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 A growth of 7.2 per cent has been registered during June 2011 as
compared to 4.9 per cent growth in June 2010. Also, the 7.2 per
cent growth rate in June 2011 was higher than the observed
growth rate of 7.0 per cent in May 2011.

 FTAs during the period January-June 2011 were 2.91 million

with a growth of 10.9 per cent as compared to the FTAs of 2.63
million with a growth of 8.9 per cent during January-June 2010
over the corresponding period of 2009.

 FEE during the month of June 2011 were US$ 1,213 million as
compared to FEE of US$ 1,020 million during the month of June
2010 and US$ 796 million in June 2009.

 The growth rate in FEE in June 2011 over June 2010 was 18.9
per cent as compared to the growth of 28.1 per cent in June 2010
over June 2009. FEE from tourism during January-June 2011
were US$ 7,811 million with a growth of 14.2 per cent, as
compared to US$ 6,842 million, with a growth of 36.6 per cent
during January-June 2010, over the corresponding period of
2009.

Performance of Tourism Sector during 2010

Ministry of Tourism compiles monthly estimates of

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) and Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) from
tourism on the basis of data received from major [Link] of the
availability of final figures from Bureau of Immigration (BOI) for 2009, the
provisional figure of 5.11 million FTAs for 2009 released earlier by
Ministry of Tourism, has now been revised to 5.17 million. Following are
the important highlights regarding FTAs and FEE from tourism in India
during the year 2010.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs)

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· FTAs in India during 2010 were 5.58 million with a growth rate
of 8.1% as compared to the FTAs of 5.17 million and growth
rate of (-)2.2% during 2009.
· The 8.1% growth rate in FTAs for 2010 over 2009 for India is
much better than UNWTO’s projected growth rate of 5% to 6%
for the world during the same period.

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) from Tourism in Indian

Rupee terms and US $ terms

 FEE from tourism in Rupee terms during 2010 were Rs.64889 crore
as compared to Rs. 54960 crore during 2009 and Rs. 50730 crore
during 2008.
 The growth rate in FEE in Rupees terms during 2010 was 18.1% as
compared to the growth rate of 8.3% in 2009 over [Link],
the growth rate observed in 2010 over 2009 was substantially high.
 FEE from tourism during 2010 were US $ 14193 million as compared
to US$ 11394 million during 2009 and US $ 11747 million during
2008.
 The growth rate in FEE in US$ terms during 2010 was 24.6% as
compared to a decline of 3% in 2009 over 2008. Therefore, in US$
terms, also growth rate observed in 2010 was positive and
substantially high.

Government Initiatives
The Government has allowed 100 per cent
foreign investment under the automatic route in the hotel and
tourism related industry, according to the Consolidated FDI Policy,
released by DIPP, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of
India. The terms hotel includes restaurants, beach resorts and other
tourism complexes providing accommodation and /or catering and food
facilities to tourists.

The term tourism related industry includes:

 Travel agencies, tour operating agencies and tourist transport

operating agencies

 Units providing facilities for cultural, adventure and wildlife

experience to tourists

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 Surface, air and water transport facilities for tourists

 Convention/seminar units and organisations

The Government of India has announced a scheme of

granting Tourist Visa on Arrival (T-VoA) for the citizens of Finland, Japan,
Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore. The scheme is valid for citizens
of the above mentioned countries planning to visit India on single entry
strictly for the purpose of tourism and for a short period of upto a
maximum of 30 days.

The government has taken up a number of initiatives to

enhance the tourism and hospitality sector performance and profits.
Identification and development of 37 destinations within the last two years,
and execution of 600 projects for 300 tourist spots across the country with
an investment of over US$24 million are some projects taken by the
Government to boost the travel industry and create awareness for the
sector. These efforts have been coupled with monetary assistance from the
Central government to the tune of US$ 5 million and US$ 10 million, as per
the Tourism report by the Gujarat Government.

The Ministry of Tourism under the Marketing Development

Assistance (MDA) Scheme has also set up committees to assist and
motivate travel tour operators and help them to familiarise with
international standards of hospitality. Also, the Government provides
financial assistance to travel agents to participate in travel marts and
annual conventions for travel and tourism, as per the Annual report by the
Ministry of Tourism.

The Uttarakhand State Government has launched 100 per

cent tax exemption program to exempt multiplex projects, amusement
parks, and other tourist facilities for a period of five years under the Vision
2020 document. On the same lines, Rajasthan has reduced the luxury tax
level to 8 per cent from the existing 10 per cent levels. Kerala, Madhya
Pradesh, Orissa and Gujarat have entered into Private Public Partnerships
(PPP) to promote travel and tourism to attract tourists.

According to the Eleventh Five Year Plan, a total of

US$472 billion is planned to be invested in upgrading and modernising civil

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amenities like bridges, ropeways, roads, telecom services, ports, and other
forms of transport as per a report by the Planning Commission.

Market Scenario
Indian travel and tourism industry bounced back from the
effects of global economic slowdown last year and is optimistic of good
business growth in 2011. TravelBiz Monitor looks at key developments of
2010 and major trends the industry expects to emerge this year

Last year was a recovery period for the Indian travel and
tourism industry. The focus clearly was to revive business hit by the
economic downturn and restore trust among travellers worldwide that
India is a safe destination and has come out of the shadows of the 2008
Mumbai terror attacks.

Innovation and reworking business models played key

roles in revitalising business reeling under the effect of global economic
slowdown. With corporate travel and inbound traffic hit badly, the huge
potential of domestic tourism was explored seriously for the first time by
many travel and hospitality players. Companies diversified their portfolios
with niche product offerings and tested the water with new avenues of
marketing like social media.

Aviation Market Scenario

Passengers can now cancel their non-refundable air
tickets until two hours before departure and get a refund of taxes, fuel
surcharge, passenger service fee and user development fee. This means a
flyer stands to get back Rs 1,300 to Rs 3,800, depending on the distance
and the fare. Fuel surcharge varies from Rs 1,000 for a short-haul domestic
flight to Rs 3,500 for a long-haul journey. Most Low Cost Carriers charge Rs
229 as passenger service fee and Rs 103 service tax.

IMPACT OF TOURISM IN INDIA

Tourism industry in India has several positive and

negative impacts on the economy and society. These impacts are
highlighted below.

POSITIVE IMPACTS
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1. Generating Income and Employment

Tourism in India has emerged as an instrument of
income and employment generation, poverty alleviation and
sustainable human development. It contributes 6.23% to the national
GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. Almost 20 million
people are now working in the India’s tourism industry.
2. Source of Foreign Exchange Earnings
Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange
earnings in India. This has favourable impact on the balance of
payment of the country. The tourism industry in India generated
about US$100 billion in 2008 and that is expected to increase to
US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4% annual growth rate.

3. Preservation of National Heritage and Environment

Tourism helps preserve several places which are of
historical importance by declaring them as heritage sites. For
instance, the Taj Mahal, the Qutab Minar, Ajanta and Ellora temples,
etc, would have been decayed and destroyed had it not been for the
efforts taken by Tourism Department to preserve them. Likewise,
tourism also helps in conserving the natural habitats of many
endangered species.

4. Developing Infrastructure
Tourism tends to encourage the development of
multiple-use infrastructure that benefits the host community,
including various means of transports, health care facilities, and
sports centers, in addition to the hotels and high-end restaurants that
cater to foreign visitors. The development of infrastructure has in
turn induced the development of other directly productive activities.

5. Promoting Peace and Stability

Honey and Gilpin (2009) suggests that the tourism
industry can also help promote peace and stability in developing

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country like India by providing jobs, generating income, diversifying

the economy, protecting the environment, and promoting cross-
cultural awareness. However, key challenges like adoption of
regulatory frameworks, mechanisms to reduce crime and corruption,
etc, must be addressed if peace-enhancing benefits from this industry
are to be realized.

NEGATIVE IMPACTS

1. Undesirable Social and Cultural Change

Tourism sometimes led to the destruction of the social
fabric of a community. The more tourists coming into a place, the
more the perceived risk of that place losing its identity. A good
example is Goa. From the late 60's to the early 80's when the Hippy
culture was at its height, Goa was a haven for such hippies. Here they
came in thousands and changed the whole culture of the state leading
to a rise in the use of drugs, prostitution and human trafficking. This
had a ripple effect on the country.

2. Increase Tension and Hostility

Tourism can increase tension, hostility, and suspicion
between the tourists and the local communities when there is no
respect and understanding for each other’s culture and way of life.
This may further lead to violence and other crimes committed
against the tourists. The recent crime committed against Russian
tourist in Goa is a case in point.

3. Creating a Sense of Antipathy

Tourism brought little benefit to the local community. In
most all-inclusive package tours more than 80% of travelers fees go
to the airlines, hotels and other international companies, not to local
businessmen and workers. Moreover, large hotel chain restaurants
often import food to satisfy foreign visitors and rarely employ local
staff for senior management positions, preventing local farmers and
workers from reaping the benefit of their presence. This has often
created a sense of antipathy towards the tourists and the
government.

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4. Adverse Effects on Environment and Ecology

One of the most important adverse effects of tourism on the
environment is increased pressure on the carrying capacity of the
ecosystem in each tourist locality. Increased transport and
construction activities led to large scale deforestation a
destabilisation of natural landforms, while increased tourist flow led
to increase in solid waste dumping as well as depletion of water and
fuel resources. Flow of tourists to ecologically sensitive areas
resulted in destruction of rare and endangered species due to
trampling, killing, disturbance of breeding habitats. Noise pollution
from vehicles and public address systems, water pollution, vehicular
emissions, untreated sewage, etc. also have direct effects on bio-
diversity, ambient environment and general profile of tourist spots.

A CASE STUDY ON GOA TOURISM

Goa, also known as the “Rome of the East”, is famous
for tourism world-wide. Tourism is the mainstay of the Goan economy and
is the main contributor to the exchequer. The Government of Goa has
already declared tourism as an industry with effect from 01-04-2000. The
master plan for the tourism development has already been prepared by the
state and the Tourism Policy of the state has already been framed, but all
this has to be implemented properly if we want tourism to be a success
story for the state.

Number of tourists visiting Goa

Goa, as was mentioned earlier is a small state, with a total
population of 13.48 lakhs as per the 2001 census. Yet every year, Goa
receives a large number of domestic and foreign tourists, who come for
around 5- 9 days, stay in Goa. India received a total of 3915324 tourists in
2005, while during the same time Goa was visited by 336803 tourists
(foreign) Goa receives the largest number of tourist from UK followed by
Russia. Besides, tourists from Germany, Finland, France, Switzerland, USA
and many other countries also visit the state.
For the first time in the history of Goa tourism, the number of
foreign tourists crossed 4 lakh, with as many as 4.41 lakh of foreign tourists
visiting Goa in the year 2010 as compared to 3.76 lakh in the year 2009.
The previous best figure recorded was in the year 2007 when 3.88 lakh
foreign tourists came to Goa. The figures also revealed that the number of
tourists (both domestic and foreign) visiting the state rose every month of
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the year 2010 as compared to 2009. While the highest percentage of 7.2 of
domestic tourist arrival was recorded in May 2010, that of foreign tourists
(40 per cent) was recorded in November. Goa received 3.98 lakh domestic
tourists in the month of December 2010 as compared to 3.85 lakh in
December, in the previous year. The foreign tourist arrival in the same
month during the year 2010 also showed a sharp increase as over 1.01 lakh
tourists arrived in Goa as compared to a little over 78,500 during the same
month the previous year, thereby registering around 29 per cent growth.
Even during the lean months of June, July, August and September, the state
recorded growth in arrival of tourists which varied from 1 per cent to 6.8
per cent in the case of domestic tourists and between 5 per cent to 21 per
cent in the case of foreign tourists, thereby indicating that Goa was well on
the course of becoming an all season tourist destination. According to the
director of Tourism, Mr Swapnil Naik, after the drop recorded in the year
2008 (when the state received 23.7 lakh tourists) due to 26/11 attack and
the effect of economic slow down, the arrival of tourists in the state has
been picking up to a large extent. Mr Naik also stated that Goa could also
receive a record number of charter flights with over 510 flights already
landing in the state as on February 4, bringing in over 1.20 lakh charter
tourists. He also said that of late there has been a spurt in the arrival of
charter tourists from Russia and the trend is likely to continue for some
more time. The largest number of charter tourists that Goa had received
was in the year 2007-08 wherein nearly 1.86 lakh tourists came to Goa in
758 charter flights that were operated during that season. The state had
received over 1.37 lakh tourists in the year 2009-10, the least during the
last five seasons. He also said that free itinerary travellers accounted for
almost half of foreign tourists arriving in Goa.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TOURISM IN INDIA

POSITIVE IMPACTS

1. Direct Financial Contributions

Tourism can contribute directly to the conservation of
sensitive areas and habitat. Revenue from park-entrance fees and
similar sources can be allocated specifically to pay for the protection
and management of environmentally sensitive areas. Special fees for
park operations or conservation activities can be collected from
tourists or tour operators.

2. Contributions to Government Revenues

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The Indian government through the tourism

department also collects money in more far-reaching and indirect
ways that are not linked to specific parks or conservation areas. User
fees, income taxes, taxes on sales or rental of recreation equipment,
and license fees for activities such as rafting and fishing can provide
governments with the funds needed to manage natural resources.
Such funds can be used for overall conservation programs and
activities, such as park ranger salaries and park maintenance.

3. Improved Environmental Management and Planning

Sound environmental management of tourism facilities
and especially hotels can increase the benefits to natural
environment. By planning early for tourism development, damaging
and expensive mistakes can be prevented, avoiding the gradual
deterioration of environmental assets significant to tourism. The
development of tourism has moved the Indian government towards
this direction leading to improved environmental management.

4. Raising Environmental Awareness

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 heightens
awareness of the value of nature among the community and lead to
environmentally conscious behavior and activities to preserve the
environment.

5. Protection and Preservation of Environment

Tourism can significantly contribute to
environmental protection, conservation and restoration of biological
diversity and sustainable use of natural resources. Because of their
attractiveness, pristine sites and natural areas are identified as
valuable and the need to keep the attraction alive can lead to creation
of national parks and wildlife parks. In India, new laws and
regulations have been enacted to preserve the forest and to protect
native species. The coral reefs around the coastal areas and the
marine life that depend on them for survival are also protected.

NEGATIVE IMPACTS
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1. Depletion of Natural Resources

Tourism development can put pressure on natural resources
when it increases consumption in areas where resources are already
scarce.
i. Water resources: Water, especially fresh water, is
one of the most critical natural resources. The tourism
industry generally overuses water resources for hotels,
swimming pools, golf courses and personal use of water
by tourists. This can result in water shortages and
degradation of water supplies, as well as generating a
greater volume of waste water.
ii. Local resources: Tourism can create great pressure
on local resources like energy, food, and other raw
materials that may already be in short supply. Greater
extraction and transport of these resources exacerbates
the physical impacts associated with their exploitation.
Because of the seasonal character of the industry, many
destinations have ten times more inhabitants in the high
season as in the low season. A high demand is placed
upon these resources to meet the high expectations
tourists often have (proper heating, hot water, etc.).
iii. Land degradation: Important land resources
include minerals, fossil fuels, fertile soil, forests, wetland
an wildlife. Increased construction of tourism and
recreational facilities has increased the pressure on these
resources and on scenic landscapes. Direct impact on
natural resources, both renewable and nonrenewable, in
the provision of tourist facilities is caused by the use of
land for accommodation and other infrastructure
provision, and the use of building materials.

2. 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

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i. Air and Noise Pollution: Transport by air, road,

and rail is continuously increasing in response to the
rising number of tourist activities in India. Transport
emissions and emission from energy production and use
are linked to acid rain, global warming and
photochemical pollution. Air pollution from tourist
transportation has impacts on the global level, especially
from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions related to
transportation energy use. And it can contribute to
severe local air pollution. For example, tour buses often
leave their motors running for hours while the tourists
go out for an excursion because they want to return to a
comfortably air-conditioned bus. Noise pollution from
airplanes, cars, and buses, as well as recreational vehicles
is an ever-growing problem of modern life. In addition to
causing annoyance, stress, and even hearing loss for
humans, it causes distress to wildlife, especially in
sensitive areas

ii. Solid waste and littering: In areas with high

concentrations of tourist activities and appealing natural
attractions, waste disposal is a serious problem and
improper disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural
environment - rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides. In
mountain areas of the Himalayas and Darjeeling, trekking
tourists generate a great deal of waste. Tourists on
expedition leave behind their garbage, oxygen cylinders
and even camping equipment. Such practices degrade the
environment particularly in remote areas because they
have few garbage collection or disposal facilities.

iii. Sewage: Construction of hotels, recreation and other

facilities often leads to increased sewage pollution.
Wastewater has polluted seas and lakes surrounding
tourist attractions, damaging the flora and fauna. Sewage
runoff causes serious damage to coral reefs because it
stimulates the growth of algae, which cover the filter-
feeding corals, hindering their ability to survive. Changes
in salinity and siltation can have wide-ranging impacts
on coastal environments. And sewage pollution can
threaten the health of humans and animals. Examples of

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such pollution can be seen in the coastal states of Goa,

Kerela, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, etc.

3. Destruction and Alteration of Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a geographic area including all the living
organisms (people, plants, animals, and micro-organisms), their physical
surroundings (such as soil, water, and air), and the natural cycles that
sustain them. Attractive landscape sites, such as sandy beaches in Goa,
Maharashtra , Kerela, Tamil Nadu; lakes, riversides, and mountain tops and
slopes, are often transitional zones, characterized by species-rich
ecosystems. The threats to and pressures on these ecosystems are often
severe because such places are very attractive to both tourists and
developers. Examples may be cited from Krushedei Island near
Rameswaram. What was once called paradise for marine biologists has
been abandoned due to massive destruction of coral and other marine life.
Another area of concern which emerged at Jaisalmer is regarding the
deterioration of the desert ecology due to increased tourist activities in the
desert. Moreover, habitat can be degraded by tourism leisure activities. For
example, wildlife viewing can bring about stress for the animals and alter
their natural behavior when tourists come too close. Safaris and wildlife
watching activities have a degrading effect on habitat as they often are
accompanied by the noise and commotion created by tourists.

Suggestions

Some of the suggestions that we would like to give to improve the tourism
industry and make it more sustainable include:

1. Diversifying the areas of tourism: The tourism industry in

Goa has mainly concentrated on beach tourism and neglected other
forms of tourism to a large extent. My suggestion is that Goa should
diversify into other areas , like farm and yoga tourism which have the
potential for future growth and development
2. Training the guides and the local people : The local
people should be trained in hospitality services and the guides
should be trained to provide the necessary and the correct
information to the tourist

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3. Maintain the control on the prices of goods and the

quality of services: The prices of the goods and services in
Goa are very high, and hence many tourists are discouraged from
shopping and buying local items. The local people too, find the cost of
living very high and very often the local people cannot afford to
purchase their daily requirements. The government should keep
control on the prices of the products so that the local people and the
tourist do not suffer
4. Improving the infrastructure especially the
transport: for tourism, transport is very important and in Goa we
have variety of transport facilities .Motorcycle pilots are a unique
feature of Goa where a person can travel any distance on a hired bike.
Besides we also have many tourist taxis and other buses, but the
rates charged for a small distance are exorbitant. Most of the
rickshaws and taxies do not charge by meter. The public transport
facility should be strengthened so that the tourists can visit the place
of their choice at a very cheap rate.
5. Improving the safety especially of women: Today
many tourist women are facing many problems from the local people,
especially as they do not maintain the hours and come back to the
hotel or guest houses late at night. Many of the foreign women have
faced molestation and other problems in Goa
6. Maintaining a control on the beaches: The beaches in
Goa are very dangerous for swimming due to the changes in tides.
Even after the posting of lifeguards and many warning signs, foreign
and other tourists go swimming, especially when they are drunk and
the number of the dead by drowning has increased tremendously.
The government and the local people should undertake steps to
educate the tourists about the dangers of swimming in the seas.
Trained lifeguards should be placed at all the major beaches, with life
boats and life belts.

Conclusion of Case Study:

We would like to put forth the submission that tourism has an
important place in the economy of Goa, but this has to be carried out in a
very systematic manner. Only when the Government and the local people
come together, implement the policy, which has been framed, it in a

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vigorous manner, tourism will be a boon else it will be a burden to the tiny
beautiful state of Goa.

FUTURE PROSPECTS
According to the latest Tourism Satellite Accounting (TSA)
research, released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)
and its strategic partner Oxford Economics in March 2009:
 The demand for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow
by 8.2 per cent between 2010 and 2019 and will place India at
the third position in the world.
 India's travel and tourism sector is expected to be the second
largest employer in the world, employing 40,037,000 by 2019.
 Capital investment in India's travel and tourism sector is
expected to grow at 8.8 per cent between 2010 and 2019.
 The report forecasts India to get capital investment worth US$
94.5 billion in the travel and tourism sector in 2019.
 India is projected to become the fifth fastest growing business
travel destination from2010-2019 with an estimated real
growth rate of 7.6 per cent.

CONCLUSION

Tourism industry in India is growing and it has vast

potential for generating employment and earning large amount of foreign
exchange besides giving a fillip to the country’s overall economic and social
development. But much more remains to be done. Eco-tourism needs to be
promoted so that tourism in India helps in preserving and sustaining the
diversity of the India's natural and cultural environments. Tourism in India
should be developed in such a way that it accommodates and entertains
visitors in a way that is minimally intrusive or destructive to the
environment and sustains & supports the native cultures in the locations it
is operating in. Moreover, since tourism is a multi-dimensional activity, and
basically a service industry, it would be necessary that all wings of the
Central and State governments, private sector and voluntary organizations
become active partners in the endeavor to attain sustainable growth in
tourism if India is to become a world player in the tourism industry.

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