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Liberalization of the Indian
economy has brought about
changes across various dimensions. With increase in income
and rapid urbanization, consumers' aspirations too have reached
new heights. Consumers are now willing to spend more if they see value in
a product/service. Consumers seek marketers who understand their
interests and offer them what they need and deserve. Tourism is
developing as an important service industry in India, with steady growth in the
number of tourists and also in the average spending per tourist - both
foreign and domestic.
India's travel and tourism industry has passed through many phases
over the last few decades. At the government level, the development of
tourist facilities was taken up in a planned manner in 1956,
coinciding with the launch of the Second Five-Year Plan. The approach has
since evolved from isolated planning of single unit facilities during the
Second and Third Five-Year Plan periods to a more integrated approach.
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. After 1980, the Government took several
significant steps to encourage the growth of tourism. A National Policy on
Tourism was announced in 1982. Later, in 1988, the National Committee
on Tourism formulated a comprehensive plan for achieving
sustainable growth in tourism. In 1992, a National Action Plan was prepared,
and in 1996 the National Strategy for Promotion of Tourism was
drafted. And gradually, the travel and tourism
industry began to pick up pace. |
