Tourism
Tourism has taken shape as the world’s largest industry growing rapidly in the last two decades. Today it has a share of 6 percent in world output and provides jobs to more than 100 million people around the globe. Since the end of the Second World War, it has developed a solid gain in revenue and development potential and stands as a notable natural renewable resource industry.
Tourism-the travel-based recreation provides an interesting alternative to people who lead a busy and routine life in their profession. They get a change in their normal and usual life. It is a normal desire for everybody to see new places and know about their lifestyle. They wish to use their summer spells in the best possible manner. Tourism provides an opportunity to fulfill this instinct. This instinct gives a thrust to the tourism industry which has become the main source of income for several places not only in India but abroad also. In India, we can take examples of places like Varanasi, Vaishno Devi, Agra, Haridwar, Mussoorie, Manali, etc. in this regard. Besides, there are many stations which are thronged by tourists. It is a pride to note that India has a considerable number of tourist spots. These places attract not only Indian but foreign tourists also. They have a craze to visit these stations to satisfy their quest for exploring the historical aspects of this country. In 1992-1993, we earned good amounts from 1.82 million tourists. Tourism helps in filling up the gaps of budgets if any. Tourism generates inter-relationship, hospitality, and employment, the potentiality for people. It gears up business, exports from the place. Besides advantages, there are certain side effects on this account.
It is a normal habit with the backward or under-developed nations to take every tourist as a rich person. They tend to cheat him by increasing prices or offering/increment in the name of original gold or silver products. The tourist is often accompanied by some sales agents, who in old terminology, can be called “THUGS’. These guides or agents increase the prices in super effects. The tourist forms a very bad opinion about a place where he had been cheated so badly by the residents. We must remember that every tourist is an embassy or a representative of his country moving in our country. They are the best source of publicity attracting or repelling further tourists in our country. Thus, a bad experience for him deprives us from the visits of further tourist from the area.
Spoiling the environment is a common outcome of rushed tourist visits. Himalaya Mountains having places like Nanda Devi track gives a sad look due to overcrowding of the tourists.
It is a fact that hill people cannot provide a very high level of amenities for tourism. The shortage occurs for electricity or water or disposal of the fuse. These problems create further damages to local masses. They create particular disturbance to a circle of wildlife upkeep and natural settings of wildlife are also affected due to excess tourism. Monuments too have suffered from tourism. The Taj Mahal, the seventh wonder of the medieval world, has suffered a lot of wear and tear from the trampling feel of tourists.
General instability of nation is causing damage to this industry, Kashmir is one of the examples Violence in Ayodhya, bomb-blasts in Bombay, disturbance in Vadodara and Surat caused a reduction of tourist visits to the area. Even, on the whole, India has to struggle hard to promote tourism. She must make use of this plan to earn more revenue. We have all the lush attractions to generate desires for a visit to this country by the tourist.
A major contribution in this respect can be by offering the best hospitality and courtesy. To do this by the local gentry, people must feel the need to establish faith in tourism. They should attempt to win their love and praise. We must be prepared to share the burden movement as hosts to tourists. As stated above, a tourist is the mouthpiece of a particular industry/country. The good image can induce them to talk good about us and bad behaviour can make them spirit bad experiences and discourage tourism. We should keep in mind that many of the Kashmir tourists have been diverted to Switzerland or any other hill station.
We have a very meagre share of 0.4 percent in world tourism and it must be increased. There is a need to create awareness about tourism, the ignorance about a particular language and tradition does not mean that the person is cheated by the locals. On the other hand, people can cultivate the permanent relationships by rendering honest help to the needy when they are trapped in such a situation. The soothing help can go a long way in developing good relations and bring expert contracts for our country.
