Top 10 tourist destinations in Asia none in India

Arundhati Konar, YourMoneySite.com 

Max Muller, a German philologist and orientalist once said, "If we were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty which nature can bestow- in some parts a veritable paradise on Earth- I should point to India. If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choices gifts- I should point to India." 

And for India, its tourism is the third largest foreign exchange earner, accounting for almost 2.5% of the GDP. However, where does it stand among the other tourist attracting countries? The blatant question here is, "what do global statistics on Indian tourism really say?" 

   (picture courtesy: india-tourism.info)

Listed below are some eye openers. As per the data complied by the United Nations World Tourism organisation (UNWTO), out of a global total of 940 million tourists, the top ten international tourism destinations in 2010 were as below: 

Rank	Country	International tourist arrivals (mn)
1	France	76.80
2	United States	59.75
3	China	55.67
4	Spain	52.68
5	Italy	43.63
6	United Kingdom	28.13
7	Turkey	27.00
8	Germany	26.88
9	Malaysia	24.58
10	Mexico	22.40

In addition, out of the total of almost 204 million tourists to Asia and the Pacific in 2010, the top ten destinations were: China followed by Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Macau, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Australia.

Yes, India does not feature in the top 10 popular destinations in the world or even Asia Pacific! 

Despite the abundant natural beauty and vast history, what stops the country to  make it among the top tourist destinations? Here's a SWOT analysis. 

Strengths & Opportunities: All-in-one: Apart from the much talked about rich culture and arts of the country, India stands strong and probably surpasses many countries in terms of locales within its territory. It is probably among the few nations which experiences all seasons around a year. 

(picture courtesy: toursinajmer.com) 


India evidently offers multiple choices when it comes to destinations - be it mountains, valleys, beaches, forests, rivers or deserts - name it and you will find it right here! India also provides with one of the greatest adventure tourism assets in the world, in form of Himalayas and its mighty rivers. 

Preference services: In order to encourage international tourism, the government has rationalised tax rates in the hospitality sector ( as per foreign trade policy announced in 2006). A similar measure has been taken in the aviation sector as well. India now has low cost airlines, like Jet Airways and Air Sahara flying overseas. 

The government of India has also taken care of hassle-free immigration services for the tourists and has passed tourist friendly visa regime. The government has considered strategies for the fast issuance of visas and permits, including electronic visa approaches, and improved processing of arrivals by customs and immigration officials. 

Medical Tourism: India, known as the fastest growing economy, stands at par with the developed economies when it comes to medical technology. But when it comes to the fees charged for the same facilities, India surpasses the first world countries on back of affordability. For example, heart surgery in India will cost around $6,000, whereas the same in US will be around $ 30,000. Similarly, the expense for bone marrow transplant in India stands around $26,000 which in US is for $250,000. 

Apart from the technologically advanced science and machineries, India is also known for alternative options of medicines. From core of its age old scripts, India has uplifted ayurveda and yoga to an international level. Over the years, the ayurvedic therapies and the magic of yogasana has been one of the main attractions for tourists in India. 

Weaknesses & Threats: Lack of marketing: Though the government of India has taken initiatives to incorporate campaigns like Incredible India and Athiti Devo Bhav, the presentation of both lacks the welcoming aspect for tourists. Incredible India as a campaign vey well portrays the art, culture and historic values of the country, but at the same time, it fails to talk about the present India. Tourism is not always about exploring the arts and culture of a country, but also about relaxation, adventure, fun, which sadly the campaign fails to portray. 

Lack of genuine information on tourist destinations: Also more access to authentic information on tourist destinations, monuments, directions, etc may make a tourist's visit to the country a more pleasant experience.

Hygiene: On visiting countries like US, United Kingdom, the first thing that an Indian will take notice of is perfect cleanliness. This is because India lacks the hygiene aspect on many accounts. Unlike other measures, cleanliness is one facet that depends more on the civilians than the government of the country.

Security: Amid the rising concerns on terrorism across the globe, India is perhaps one of the most threatened. Bomb blasts, terror attacks on prime cities of the country raise questions on the security of tourists. To add to this, thefts, rapes, cheaters also act as setbacks for the international tourists in the country.

Population: India ranks second in world's population chart. And with higher population India keeps adding to poverty, pollution, frauds, crime rates, etc. On an obvious note, such factors are not welcoming for an outsider, thus hurting the percentage of international tourists visiting the country.

Conclusion: Indian government's tourism policy attempts to position tourism as a major engine of economic growth. The policy paper takes into consideration seven key areas that will drive the country to tourism development. These are: Swagat (welcome), Soochana (information), Suvidha (facilitation), Suraksha (safety), Sahyog (cooperation), Samrachana (infrastructure development) and Safai (cleanliness). While we have seen the central government making procedural changes to make land available for construction of hotels, on some aspects more homework is still required.