JOIN USIndia has done well to move up from the 40th position in 2017 to the 34th rank in the world tourism index, compiled by the World Economic Forum (WEF). A rise of six places is good performance, considering the slow movement of the country in the ranking for many years. India is now the only low-middle income country to figure in the list of the top 35, helped by the biggest overall percentage improvement among the top quarter of the countries ranked in the report. The report is prepared on the basis of a number of factors like natural and cultural resources, infrastructure, travel and tourism policy, enabling environment and price competitiveness. Spain retained its top spot in the rankings, followed by France, Germany, Japan and the US. Some other countries that are ahead of India in the list of top destinations are China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.
India needs to go much farther and has the potential to do so. The report shows the relative strengths and weaknesses of the country and gives indications of where improvements can be made. India has impressive natural and cultural resources, and has improved its infrastructure, price competitiveness, business environment and travel and tourism policy. But the report has noted that there is the need to improve the country’s enabling environment, service infrastructure and environmental sustainability. While some states and places like Kerala and Rajasthan and Delhi and Agra provide facilities and services of good quality, they need to be better in many other places. One major negative is with respect to safety. India has slipped on the safety scale from a poor 114 to a worse 122. The many reports of sexual assaults on women tourists and attacks on both men and women attest to this. Social and political strife and law and order problems are also discouraging factors. The number of solitary travellers is increasing, and safety is an important consideration for them.
Tourism contributed about 10% of the country’s GDP and employed 42 million people in 2018. But with its geographical, climatic and cultural diversity, natural assets and resources, antiquities and traditions and the great works of art and architecture it can boast of, India has the potential to increase the tourist traffic into the country many times over. Much smaller countries are doing much better. Tiny Singapore attracts more tourists than India. There is much talk about promoting tourism, but it has to be supported better on the ground. Development and tourism thrive on each other. The report says that travel and tourism can drive economies, but policymakers should ensure "proper management of their tourism assets, which requires a holistic, multi-stakeholder approach."