Tourism, being one of the largest industry, plays a key role in achieving the socio- economic goals of the development plans of a nation. It is an important service- oriented sector which has made rapid strides globally in terms of gross revenue and
foreign exchange earnings. It is a composite of service providers, both public and private, which includes travel agents and tour operators; air, rail and sea transportation operators; guides; owners of hotels, guest houses and inns, restaurants and shops; etc. They are involved in meeting the diverse interests and requirements of domestic and international tourists. The tourism industry provides incentives to foster the quality of environment, generates more employment opportunities (particularly in remote and backward areas) as well as develops necessary infrastructure facilities like roads, telecom and medical services, in the economy.
In India, tourism industry holds special position as it not only have potential to grow at a high rate, but also stimulate other economic sectors through its backward and forward linkages and cross-sectional synergies with sectors like agriculture, horticulture, poultry, handicrafts, transport, construction, etc. That is, it can provide impetus to other industries in the country and generate enough wealth to help pay off the international debt. It is the third largest net earner of foreign exchange for the country. The travel and tourism sector contributes to the national integration; preserves natural and cultural environments; as well as enriches social and cultural lives of the people. It has the capacity to create substantial job opportunities, particularly for unskilled and semi-skilled workers as well as to alleviate the poverty in the country. That’s why; it has been regarded as one of the core sectors of the Indian economy. Given India’s unique endowments of biodiversity, forests, rivers, mountains, historical places, temples and pilgrims, caves, museums, monuments and culture, the industry holds immense strength for obtaining higher growth rate. The challenges in the sector lie in successfully preserving these in their original form, and making them accessible to domestic and international travellers. India offers various categories of tourism products, such as adventure tourism; medical tourism (ayurveda and other forms of Indian medications), eco-tourism; rural tourism; cruise tourism; meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) tourism; etc.
PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry through the 2nd India Heritage Tourism Conclave offers a unique platform to give impetus to the knowledge sharing and cash the untapped potential of Heritage Tourism in the country. This report prepared by the secretariat of PHD Chamber of Commerce is a progressive effort which will be released in series in the subsequent India Heritage Tourism Conclaves.