Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries
in the world. It earns more than 3.5 trillion
dollars worldwide generated by 500 million international
tourists. In India, tourism is the third largest
foreign exchange earning industry after the gem
and garment industries. Last year 2.1 million
tourists visited the country. A whopping 4.1 million
Indian tourists visited countries abroad last
year, which goes to prove that there is a bigger
outbound market.
To cater to the need of both domestic and outbound
market, an exhibition is organized every year
to bring travel agents, tour operators, hotels,
resorts and tourism promotion boards under one
roof. This gives travellers a one-stop opportunity
to acquaint themselves with various aspects. IITM
or the India International Travel Mart was
organized recently in Bangalore to focus on the
tourism and hospitality industry in the 'Explore
India Millennium Year'. The event
attracted nearly 125 participants from both India
and abroad. Some participants were tourism promotion
boards from Karnataka, Pondicherry, Kashmir, Nepal,
Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Orissa, Gujarat
and Goa. Overseas tour operators from Nepal, Kenya,
Dubai, Australia, Britain, travel websites like
travelanza, indiaihot, 73coffees and others were
also present..
Some facts that emerged in the interaction with
the exhibitors:
Indians spent around 140 million pounds
on shopping and travelling in Britain last year.
The average amount spent by an
Indian traveller on a leisure travel abroad
is $ 2000, and this despite the weakening of
the rupee value.
Most Indian travellers are
honeymooners and their most favoured destinations
are Switzerland, Australia, Mauritius, Maldives
and the Far East.(No wonder the Swiss Alps seem
to be the backdrop for most Hindi movies!).
While the country received
2.1 million tourists last year, the outbound
number was almost double at 4.1 million.
Kashmir still attracts a large number of Indian
tourists to Vaishnodevi, Gulmarg, Amarnath
and Ladakh.
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