Tourism means the principle of traveling for pleasure. Many people are in the habit of traveling over different countries in order to see the places of their respective interests like the structures of sculptural beauty, attractive spots of nature and so on. So, we find a lot of foreign tourists in different countries.
The travels of the foreign tourist bring a lot of money to the countries where they travel. Hence, tourism has become a source of income for the countries to which the tourists come. Hence, tourism is now developing as a great industry. In the world of 1971, the total turnover from it was fifteen thousand crores of rupees. Over one hundred and eighty million people were involved in this industry. Such a great industry cannot be ignored by India which abounds in the spots of tourist-interest. Beside, India wants to earn foreign exchange to strengthen her financial position.
Tourism in India:
With a view to earning foreign exchange India wants to develop her tourist-industry. Since a pretty long time Kashmir has become a regular receiver of tourists. Innumerable number of people come from abroad to visit this prettiest place of India. Most of the people of Kashmir earn their bread and fortune by dealing with the tourists in various ways getting money from the tourists through hotels, restaurants, rest houses, boat-houses, conveyances and by hawking, peddling and guiding. So, the Kashmir State Government provide in its budget five crores of rupees for the development of tourism in the state of Kashmir during the fifth plan period.
The Government of India is also doing its best to develop tourism in our country. In big cities like New Delhi, Bombay, Madras and Calcutta, the Government has established modern high-style hotel with modern amenities for the very rich tourists who may come to India. Te places of tourist-interest are developed in multifarious ways like lighting, water-supplying, beautifying and so on. The Government is publishing book-lets about these places of tourist interest and the Government's publicity-machine is geared up to attract tourists by distributing leaflets, booklets and by advertising in the leading papers, magazines and periodicals of different countries. The Government is planning to check the beggars from coming to these places in order to keep tourists from embarrassment. In 1971 the target tourist-arrival was four Lakhs. Tourism has become one of the subjects for three-year degree course in a college of Delhi University.
The State Governments in India are now, also busy in developing the places of tourist interest in their respective States. They are planning to bring about new schemes for effecting tourist complexes by joining a number of tourist spots by means of road-link and bus-service. It is hoped that tourism in India will highly develop by the combined efforts of the Central Government and the State Governments.