SPREADING THE COLORS OF SUCCESS: STORY OF INDIAN TOURISM

Abstract

- India can always boast of its rich cultural heritage. Travel and Tourism in India is an integral part of Indian tradition and culture. In ancient times, travel was primarily for pilgrimage –as the holy places dotting the country attracted people from different parts of the world. People also traveled to participate in large scale feasts, fairs and festivals in different parts of the country. In such a background, cultural tradition was developed where ‘AthithiDevoBhava’ (the guest is god) and ‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam’ (the world is one family) became bywords of Indian social behavior. Since times immemorial, the rulers in different parts of India built luxurious palaces, enchanting gardens, marvelous temples, grand forts, tombs, and memorials. These bear testimony to the exquisite inheritance of this land, and are examples of unparalleled craftsmanship of the people of the bygone ages. The beauty of India’s cultural heritage and the richness of nature’s endowments make India tourist’s paradise. Tourism was seen as an important instrument for national integration and international understanding. The dimensions of tourism changed as trade and commerce developed. The spice trade brought India in contact with the world more than before. The silk route trade also opened up India’s immense cultural heritage and natural beauty to the world outside. The establishment of the Indian Railways by the British, modernization of the ports, development of hill stations- all these added to the growth of the Indian tourism industry in the 19th and early parts of the 20th century. The growth of modern, organized tourism however was slow. Systematic information, even if inadequate, has been available only during the post –Independence era. It was only after the 80s that tourism as an industry picked up speed.