INSTA SECURE SYNOPSIS

o Recent bill to amend The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains
Act which allowed construction within 100m of the protected monuments should be
avoided.
o In 2015, the ministry launched an initiative of e-ticketing services in over 116
monuments under the ASI and launched an initiative to digitise cultural resources.
 Strengthening institutions:
o The CAG report on Preservation and Conservation of Monuments and Antiques
clearly indicates that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for this purpose needs
to be more proactive and vigilant in its efforts and the ministry needs to develop an
aggressive strategy for the same
o Tapping of the Public —Private Partnership models for sustenance of Arts and
Crafts.
o Setting up at least one museum in each district with different chambers for visual
and other forms of art, architecture, science, history and geography with regional
flavour.
o Artistes from the field of architecture, sculpture, painting, handicrafts, puppetry,
music, dance, theatre, and literature will be graded by the Centre on the basis of
their performance.

Conclusion

It is the duty of every citizen to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture. The
art and culture of our nation are a vast continuum, evolving incessantly since time immemorial.
Naturally, preservation and conservation of India’s rich cultural heritage and promotion of all forms
of art and culture, both tangible and intangible, including monuments and archaeological sites,
anthropology and ethnology, folk and tribal arts, literature and handicrafts, performing art of music-
dance-drama and visual arts of paintings-sculpture-graphics is essential and assumes a lot of
importance.

With the rise in global travel options, India is confronted with competition from other
countries that offer similar attractions. Continuous innovation and differentiation are
required to emphasize its rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, and historical
landmarks in order to stand out in the global tourism market. Discuss. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
An international war has broken out to attract post-pandemic travellers that we ought to join in
earnest. Our current tourist arrivals are well below the potential of a country that offers Himalayan
retreats, medieval palaces and backwater cruises.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the potential of tourism sector in India and the steps that India needs to take to boost
tourism in the country.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving statistic related to tourism in India.

Telegram: https://t.me/insightsIAStips Page 8

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpoccbCX9GEIwaiIe4HLjwA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insightsonindia
INSTA SECURE SYNOPSIS

Body:
First, write about the status of tourism in India. Give facts and figures related to revenue and forex
earnings, tourist footfalls.
Next, highlight the areas where work is needed in the tourism sector– security, infrastructure,
connectivity and so on.
Next, discuss the steps that need to be taken still to fill in the gaps and attract tourism in the country
amidst global competition.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction

Every region in India is identified with its handicraft, fairs, folk dances, music and its people. Hence,
India is a country with a great potential for tourism. The tourism industry employs a large number of
people, both skilled and unskilled. It promotes national integration and international brotherhood.
There is no other country in the world which offers such a wide choice of destinations like India.

An international war has broken out to attract post-pandemic travellers that we ought to join in
earnest. Our current tourist arrivals are well below the potential of a country that offers Himalayan
retreats, medieval palaces and backwater cruises.

Body

Tourism Status in India

 In the Pre- pandemic times, tourism sector contributed ~US$ 250 billion in 2018 to India’s
GDP.

 It crumbled down to US$ 122 billion in 2020 due to pandemic.

 The share of Tourism to GDP has hovered around ~5-6%. With post-pandemic recovery, the
tourism industry is expected to reach US$ 512 billion by 2028.

 In 2020, the Indian tourism sector accounted for 39 million jobs, which was 8% of the total
employment in the country. By 2029, it is expected to account for about 53 million jobs.

 India ranked 34th in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 published by the
World Economic Forum.

 Data show that domestic tourism has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, even exceeding it in
some cases. This is evident in a record 1.84 crore domestic tourists visiting Jammu and
Kashmir in 2022

Positive effects of Tourism in India

 Employment generation: Tourism sector provides diverse opportunities for jobs like in
hospitality/hotels/accommodation, transportation, tour guides, travel operations etc.
 Revenue Generation: Tourism contributes 6.23% to the national GDP and 9.3% of the total
employment in India. More than 20 million people are now working in the India’s tourism
industry.

 Source of Foreign Exchange Earnings:Tourism Sector was the third-largest foreign exchange
earner for the country in 2019. Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange earnings
in India. This has favorable impact on the balance of payment of the country. By 2028, Indian

Telegram: https://t.me/insightsIAStips Page 9

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpoccbCX9GEIwaiIe4HLjwA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insightsonindia
INSTA SECURE SYNOPSIS

tourism and hospitality is expected to earn US$ 50.9 billion as visitor exports compared with
US$ 28.9 billion in 2018.

 Preservation of National Heritage and Environment:Tourism helps preserve several places

which are of historical importance by declaring them as heritage sites. For instance, the Taj
Mahal, the Qutab Minar, Ajanta and Ellora temples, etc. would have been decayed and
destroyed, if the efforts had not been taken by Tourism Department to preserve them.
Likewise, tourism also helps in conserving the natural habitats of many endangered species.

 Developing Infrastructure:Tourism tends to encourage the development of multiple-use

infrastructure that benefits the host community, including various means of transports,
health care facilities and sports centers, in addition to the hotels and high-end restaurants
that cater to foreign visitors. The development of infrastructure has in turn induced the
development of other directly productive activities.

 Promoting Peace and Stability:The tourism industry can also help promote peace and
stability in developing country like India by providing jobs, generating income, diversifying
the economy, protecting the environment and promoting cross-cultural awareness.
However, key challenges like adoption of regulatory frameworks, mechanisms to reduce
crime and corruption, etc, must be addressed if peace-enhancing benefits from this industry
are to be realized.

Measures needed to boost Tourism sector

 Infrastructure: The Government has been increasing investments in strengthening of the

country’s road and rail networks and promoting port development is a significant driver for
the growth of the Tourism sector. The Adarsh Station Schemeis helping modernize railway
stations, while the Regional Connectivity Scheme – UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), is
helping make air travel more economical and widespread to hitherto unserved routes.
The Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes aim to stimulate growth in niche tourism
segments such as religious, heritage, wellness, medical, adventure, MICE, wildlife etc. Under
the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, the Government has launched several theme based circuits
like Buddhist circuit which covers destinations associated with the life of Lord Buddha.

 Promotional Campaign: Promotional activities such as the Incredible India 2.0campaign

focuses on niche tourism products including yoga, wellness, luxury, cuisine wildlife among
others. “Find the Incredible You” Campaign focuses on the promotion of niche tourism
products of the Country on digital and social media.
 Information Helpline: The government has introduced the concept of e-tourist and e-
medical visaswhich has helped increase inbound tourists to the country. Additional
initiatives such as Atithi Devo Bhava, a 24×7 multi-lingual Tourist Helpline, among others
have helped improve the safety and security of tourists. On a pilot basis, an ‘Incredible India
Helpline’ has been set up to guide the tourists.

 Safety: The Ministry of Tourism has adopted a code of conduct for safe tourism, which
contains a set of guidelines to encourage tourism activities to be undertaken with respect to
basic rights like dignity, and safety of both tourists and local residents, in particular women
and children.
 Investment: The government allows 100% Foreign Direct Investment in the Travel and
Tourism sector through the automatic route to increase investments across the sector. More
Telegram: https://t.me/insightsIAStips Page 10
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpoccbCX9GEIwaiIe4HLjwA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insightsonindia
INSTA SECURE SYNOPSIS

recently, the GST rate cut on hotel room tariffs across the board has been a positive move
for the industry and is expected to boost the sector’s competitiveness globally.

 Cleanliness and Hygiene: Major cleanliness campaign has been launched under the Swachh
Bharatmovement for protecting and preserving the sanctity of monuments of national
heritage. The Ministry of Tourism has also launched awareness campaign to ensure
cleanliness of surroundings and help create a Swachh Bharat, Swachh Smarak.

 Assistance to States: Financial assistance to states, including places of religious importance,

for various tourism projects in consultation with them subject to availability of funds, inter-
se priority, liquidation of pending utilisation certificates and adherence to the scheme
guidelines.

 Digital Database: In September 2021, the Government launched NIDHI 2.0(National

Integrated Database of Hospitality Industry), a scheme which will maintain a hospitality
database comprising accommodation units, travel agents, tour operators and others. NIDHI
2.0 will facilitate digitalisation of the tourism sector by encouraging hotels to register
themselves on the platform.

 Skilling: The Ministry of Tourism has introduced the Incredible India Tourist Facilitator(IITF)
and Incredible India Tourist Guide (IITG) Certification Programme to create an online
learning platform of well-trained tourist facilitators and guides across the country.

Way forward

 The government should continue to promote India’s diversity and rich heritage to re-
establish its position as a tourist paradise.
 The promotional campaigns should target both domestic and foreign tourists. Similarly, the
extent of theme-based tourist circuits can be expanded.

 Tourism sector has a potential to provide lot of livelihood opportunities in smaller

cities/towns. Upskilling and Reskilling can help address the issue of jobless growth.
 The government should also promote green and sustainable tourismto tackle issues relating
to water crisis, pollution, waste management, etc.

 There is need to balance the promotion of tourism with safeguarding the physical, social,
and cultural environment in the destination areas.

 The Government should further reform the tourist visa norms and processes to facilitate
tourism. The Government should also explore the possibility of expanding the visa-on-arrival
facility.

 The focus should also be on supporting and promoting the emerging segments of tourism.

Conclusion

If the goal of positioning of India as one of the world’s best tourism destinations by 2047, there is
need to integrate various schemes of different ministries. Need to involve various stakeholders, and
local communities; necessary interventions at urban and rural level should be a priority.

Telegram: https://t.me/insightsIAStips Page 11

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpoccbCX9GEIwaiIe4HLjwA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insightsonindia