Indo-Pak relations in connection with tourism

Published in http://www.theregionaltourism.org/newsletter-Jan2013.php

For both India and Pakistan’s economic growth and peace initiatives, it would be recommended that more measures need to be taken to increase the level of tourism, especially religious tourism between the two countries. Ease of visa procedures for citizens who want to avail of existing CBMs (confidence building measures) such as bus and rail services plays a vital part in improving more tourism avenues with both countries. This includes Hindus and Sikhs who want to visit places of religious worship in Pakistan, apart from tourist destinations in Pakistan such as Taxila, and Pakistanis who want to visit religious shrines and other tourist spots in India such as the Taj Mahal.

Tourism, especially visits to religious shrines, carries on regardless of tension and obviously helps in generating goodwill. Couple of months after the Mumbai attack, some Sikh pilgrims who were a little wary of visiting Pakistan went ahead and received a warm welcome. Aside from the goodwill these visits create, there is immense economic potential, especially for the Pakistani economy, which is facing numerous challenges. Of course, the present number of Indian tourists and religious pilgrims is not contributing substantially to the Pakistani economy––a substantial increase in the number of tourists would definitely do so. Pakistan, has to its credit, renovated some important Sikh shrines and temples and also is working on improving accommodation facilities there.

The efforts till now have not been very successful though due to several factors. One of the chief reasons is procuring Pakistan Visa, a Sikh pilgrim has to travel all the way to Delhi and go to the pilgrimage centre in Pakistan. So a maximum 50 km travel extends to more than 500 kms! The best way of addressing this problem could be to have more Pakistani consulates in cities such as Jodhpur, Amritsar and Kanpur and add to the number of Indian consulates in Pakistan. Or visas can be issued twice a week in smaller towns from where there is adequate demand. This will be useful not only for tourists, but even businessmen and traders residing in the borders of both countries.

A “religious corridor” also has been mooted to augment visits and return on the same day. The Indian side however, has not responded much on this yet. Besides religious visits, many people would like to visit their ancestral homes, and such visits are a major boost to tourism related initiatives happening in both countries. In 2011, Pakistan-born Balbir Singh Bhasin, wrote to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari pleading for help in achieving, ‘the last dream of my life (namely) to offer sajda (respect) to my zameen.’ Within a few days Bhasin was issued a visa by the Pakistan High Commission in India. The visit was an eye-opener for the septuagenarian and all as he was received with overwhelmingly warmth and hospitality.

Visa-on-arrival can be considered for people born before 1947 or senior citizens. Some initiatives to attract travel agents on both sides to conduct group tours to re-connect to their ancestral properties, visit their villages and also meet and exchange cordialities with other people will not only help augment more tourism but may boost a feeling of goodwill and help reduce tension across borders.

The setting up of the The Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari is a positive step to boost to bilateral trade between the two countries and take them closer to the target of $10 billion. The ICP is not a boon only for traders, but a great help to tourists. The facility has arrival and departure jatha sheds for the comfort of religious tourists who earlier faced discomfort as they had no proper place to sit while completing customs and immigration formalities.

Speaking at the fourth Annual General Meeting of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) recently held at a local hotel in Srinagar, Rauf Tramboo, President, TAAK, expressed satisfaction over talks between India and Pakistan on Cross-LoC Tourism. “We hope in the near future, tour operators from both sides chalk out a single itinerary for tourists who wish to visit both areas. It was TAAK that coined the phrase ‘Cross-LoC Tourism’, suggesting that the Indian government add tourism activities across the Line of Control (LoC),” Tramboo said, according to a report by Greater Kashmir. “Such steps will boost tourism on both sides and will act as a peace initiative between India and Pakistan,” he added.

Written by Jayanthi Raghavan Iyengar ITEC India who lives in Noida (Delhi National Capital Region) and runs a Multimedia Development company. Over the last 6 years she has established a B2B catalog that now specializes in liaisoning, networking and fostering relationships with foreign travel agents and State Tourism Boards. She is also the representative of IIPT (International Institute of Peace through Tourism), USA in India. She is also the founder of a non profit initiative, Eternal Energy that is very active in Delhi NCR area. Jayanthi firmly believes in the established fact that tourism across borders is a strong mitigation towards peace and good relations across countries.

Tripura, the tourism hotspot for the devout

Hidden from the view of travellers for centuries, exquisite images of 15th century Hindu gods and goddesses carved on a hill at Devtamura in Tripura's south district are now attracting tourists in droves.
The site is full of images of Lord Shiva, Ganesha, Kartika, Mahisasur Mardini, Durga and others carved on the steep wall of the Kalajhari hill.

The unexplored site is just 75 kilometers from Agartala and overlooking the Gomati river and is being visited by hordes of tourists. Devtamura, also known as Chabinmura, is picturesque and is largely inhabited by the Reang tribe. The lush green vegetation and little bamboo-straw dwellings of the tribals are as much a point of attraction for the tourists as the images.

TTDC plans to organise cultural festivals

Taking a cue from the response to the famous dance festival at Mamallapuram, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has chalked out a plan to organise cultural festivals at important tourist destinations. A calendar of events has been drawn up, taking into consideration the time of arrival of foreign tourists at these spots. The programmes include, classical and light music dances and thematic presentations.

Currently, the stay of foreign tourists in the State ranges from eight to ten days. They invariably stay for a day or two at each place such as Chennai, Kancheepuram, Mamallapuram, Puducherry, Tranquebar, Tiruchi, Kumbakonam, Darasuram, Thanjavur, Tiruchi, Madurai, Kodaikanal and Kanyakumari. Those visiting Udhagamandalam tend to skip Kodaikanal and vice versa. By conducting month-long festivals, the Tourism Department wants foreign visitors to experience other destinations as well.

OTDC launches Buddhist circuit tours

The Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) launched a Buddhist circuit tour package in a bid to promote the state’s offerings for Religious Tourism. Visitors to Puri and Bhubaneswar can opt for the Buddhist circuit tour of Odisha spread across three hill-tops: Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri and Udayagiri. The customised tour service was flagged off from the OTDC-managed Panthanivas Hotel in Puri. Buddhist Tourism in Odisha will open a new window to boost domestic as well as inbound tourism to the country.

Mawsmai caves - Meghalaya's new tourist destination

Meghalaya, which means the 'abode of clouds', is one of the most picturesque states in India. Notwithstanding the fact, that state capital Shillong, is often referred to as the 'Scotland of the East,' and Mawsynram receives the highest rainfall in the world, coupled with the fact that the two-tier living 'Root Bridge' at Tyrna village and lush greenery of the Khasi, Garo and Jaintia hills lures the visitor to the natural beauty of the hills, Mawsmai caves, a few miles further away from Cherrapunjee is fast emerging as a new tourist destination. The caves, made of limestone, spellbind the visitor the moment he enters the caverns. The entrance is well lit, but as one enters further inside, the eerie ness and the mystery, starts unfolding. Coupled with that, the constant dripping of water from the cave roofs and the formation of stalactites and stalagmites, a phenomena specially found in limestone caves, where the roof and the floor of the cave joins together to form pillars, adds to the beauty of the place. While at some places, the openings are big enough for a person to just about crawl through, at others, the roofs as high as 40 feet! Interestingly, while the entrance is large and roomy, the exit is so small, that a full-grown person has to kneel down for coming out into the open.

     It is perhaps this beauty that attracts tourists to flock to the caves in huge numbers. "Anyone visiting Cherrapunjee must visit these caves. It's very interesting. It's a nice experience. Initially I was a bit claustrophobic and the bulky person that I am, I literally had to crawl through some of the openings. But, it's a beautiful experience inside. It gives a mystique feeling. I will surely tell my friends visiting Cherrapunjee to visit these caves ones," said Amar Mathur, a tourist from Assam. "Initially I thought this was like any other cave, but it is certainly fantastic inside. It's very nice, very beautiful. It gives you a great feeling inside. I have visited the Vaishno Devi caves, but this is better," said Pratima, another tourist from Darjeeling. Though nobody knows how the cave came to be discovered, legend has it that the Khasi tribesmen who inhabit the region, during one of their hunting expeditions, discovered the caves infested with animals, With the passage of time, all the animals living inside were hunted down and the caves were rendered devoid of animals. However, even with the caves becoming free of animals, no human has been known to live inside them. With the large number of people visiting Cherrapunjee making it a point to visit the caves as well, the ancient limestone caves at Mawsmai is fast emerging as a new tourist destination for all those visiting Meghalaya.

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation to impart training to 1L people in tourism sector

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) will train as many as one lakh workers in the organized and unorganized sectors related to tourism. From guides to taxi drivers, life guards to rickshaw drivers and restaurant staff to mechanics, the MTDC would work on chiselling their behavioural skills and providing a formal technical know-how of their profession. Training workforce in these sectors will go a long way in appeasing the tourists coming to the state.

The skill upgradation is a part of the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM) in Maharashtra and is aimed at helping tourists coming to the state. MTDC general manager Kishori Gadre said, "The tourism industry is growing at an unprecedented rate and many in the sector are not formally trained. Workforce in the lower rung of the organised sector and those in the unorganised sector do not receive any training in their vocation. Our focus will be on training lifeguards and guides. Since MTDC is not a training body, it will facilitate the process."

Gadre said that well-trained and well-behaved guides, taxi drivers and others (who deal with tourists directly) will cultivate a positive attitude among tourists. "The Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), Goa, has been roped in to take this initiative forward. Besides, trainers from other institutes will be deployed," said Gadre, adding that the budget for the initiative will be huge. However, he could not give a figure on the same.

MTDC managing director Jagdish Patil said, "Private and government institutes will be engaged to impart training. Modules spanning two to four weeks have been planned. A part of the unemployed section will also be trained using modules of longer duration."

Patil said that as part of the skill upgradation initiative, as many as 45 lakh people will be trained in 10 different departments in the state, of which tourism is one. "Before choosing the trainees, we need to select the sectors in tourism from which they will be shortlisted. For instance, hospitality, food and beverage, housekeeping, tour operators and the like," said Patil.

Resort with spa & golf awaits Chandil

In a bid to attract tourists to Chandil dam, the Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation (JTDC) is building a state-of-the-art resort in Gangudih village in the vicinity of the dam. The tourism department has issued tenders for the bidding process and probably by early next month construction for the two-storied resort, which will have 40 air-conditioned rooms, will begin.

Goa is the most relaxed tourist destination in the world

Goa is popular for its beaches and unique architecture, and has been voted as the most valued and relaxed tourist destination of the world. Goa has left imprint on peoples’ heart and mind as readers of ‘Lonely Planet’ voted Goa as the ‘best value destination in India’ and the ‘best destination for relaxation’, the state tourism said in a release issued here.

Lonely Planet magazine become popular all over the world and for the first time announced the Lonely Planet magazine India Travel awards to celebrate those who provide the best travel experiences in the country.

“Goa is making continuous efforts to encourage a steady tourist inflow and keeping our guests happy through unforgettable experiences. We are really honored that Goa has been voted as the best destination for relaxation as well as the best value destination in the country,” Goa Director Tourism Swapnil Naik said.

Floating hotel on Mandovi River

The next tourist season will see the first non-casino vessel function on the Mandovi River, in a bid to draw high-end tourists to Goa. High street Cruises and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (HSCEPL), which runs off-shore casinos in the state, have received initial permission from the Goa Tourism Department to go ahead with the proposal for a floating hotel.The floating hotel will have 14 rooms, including a conference hall, restaurant, gymnasium, etc.

AC bus for Buddhist circuit to roll out from Patna

Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) is all set to run 55-seater AC Volvo bus service from Patna to Gorakhpur via Vaishali, Kesariya and Kushinagar in the first phase. New luxury buses would also be launched soon for places like Nalanda, Rajgir, Bodh Gaya, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Bettiah, Lauria, Nandangarh, Valmiki Nagar, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Begusarai (famous for Kawar Jheel), Jainagar, Kishanganj, Sasaram, Bhagalpur and Kolkata. These bus would be running in public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

In a bid to offer good hospitality to the tourists availing this service, the tourism department is also surveying the hygienic condition of hotels and restaurants on the above-mentioned routes. It is planning to tie-up with them so as to provide clean washrooms, hygienic food and resting space to the tourists.

Bihar to have World’s largest Hindu Temple

Bihar will soon boast to have the World’s largest Hindu Temple. Bihar Mahavir Mandir Trust, BMMT is going to make this temple at a cost of whooping Rs 100 crores. It will be 5 storied, 222 feet tall and will be spread over 15 acres making a replica of World’s famous Angkor Watt.

Arunachal Pradesh open for aviation tourism

Arunachal Pradesh skies are now officially opened for aviation tourism. A first chartered flight with eight tourists landed in Menchukha that is located along the border shared with China. Prema Khandu, Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Minister said, “Now tourists can enjoy the natural beauty of the state through the aviation tourism and it will take the state's tourism to new heights.” The state government has also planned for revamping and reopening all the airstrips in the state. 

World Environment Day

World Environment Day is observed on June 5 every year to promote awareness on environment protection. A series of events are observed across the globe by major organizations and groups. Everyone took it upon to undertake an awareness drive across the city to protect nature and keep the city clean.

Hospitality Industry

The Hospitality industry in India is slated for an explosion. The current share of India in world tourism is estimated to be only 0.49%. The tourism industry in India employs, directly or indirectly, only 50 lakh people – and the industry is estimated to be growing at an ever increasing pace of 10% to 12% every year. Research also shows that the average stay of a foreign guest, in India is 31.2 days which is also slated to grow as India’s knowledge based economy emerges. The growth in manpower requirement in hospitality industry is expected to rise by 127% by 2016.

5th IIPT African Conference on Climate Change

Zambia was the host for the recently concluded 5th IIPT African Conference on Climate Change. The conference was a huge success. Delegates from over 35 countries and 440+ participants attended the conference. From senior bureaucrats to academicians the conference brought together a right mix of audience and speakers. 
 
The President of Zambia, the patron of the conference, and the Minister for Tourism, Zambia both emphasized on peace to promote tourism. The President said, "Tourism also helps to foster peace in the world as every traveller is essentially a peace ambassador." 
 
Ms. Catherine Namugala, Minister said. “We all know that climate change is a global problem that needs a global solution. Moreover, the African continent and the rest of the developing world is amongst the most vulnerable when it comes to climate change. The effects of climate change, such as extreme weather phenomena, are issues that will greatly affect the tourism sector and need urgent actions from all of us.”

Ecotourism in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh Ecotourism Board was constituted with a view to conserve natural resources through ecotourism and with a mission to achieve sustainable forest management through ecotourism. The Board has taken initiatives in the destination development, capacity building, ecotourism activities and infrastructure development of ecotourism facilities in the State.

The ultimate objectives of the Board is:

• Conserving the natural resource base of the State.
• Promoting the State as a prominent ecotourism hub
• Securing economic benefits for the local communities without adversely affecting their cultural ethos.

E-Business for Tourism in India

The Internet and protocol (TCP/IP) have created a universal platform for communication and presentation- a truly open, global network. Increasingly it will be accessed from different types of equipment- TV, mobile devices, in-car technology, terrestrial phones, kiosks,etc - for a range of purposes. The cost of access is going down and the speed of access is going up.

Tourism and the Internet are ideal partners. For consumers, when they are planning a trip to a new destination, they face the problem of making a costly purchase without being able to see the product. The Internet provides them with the means to gain immediate access to relevant information of greater variety and depth than has bee available previously, about destinations throughout the world; and to book quickly and easily.

For tourism destinations and businesses, it offers the potential to make information and booking facilities available to large numbers of consumers at relatively low cost; it enables them to make large-scale savings on the production and distribution of print and on other traditional activities (e.g. call centers and information centers); and it provide a tool for communication and relationship development with tourism suppliers and market intermediaries, as well as end-consumers.

By using different e-marketing and promotional tools India tourism ecatalog offers complete solution of yours any queries and needs. as the above mentioned that in present world information is the core of any business. lots of people wants to come India but they don't aware to proper and reliable source of information. They used internet but every information on internet is not reliable. Every thing have two faces- positive and negative. similarly internet also have their own limitation and anybody can't say that the all the information on internet is right and useful. Now the work of India tourism ecatalog is start. India tourism ecatalog works on the behalf of different state tourism boards of Government of India. the primary motive of this organization is to create awareness between among the people for India and give them reliable information. it also help to build relation between Indian tour operators, hoteliers  with foreign tour operators and travelers who want to do business in India and want to know more about of India. The main focus of this company is to increase more tourism business in India and for this it used all the e-business and promotional tools. like it have their own website, actively stand on all social network sites like facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

The dramatic growth in the number of Internet users over the past five years and projections for the next five years create very shining picture of E-business for tourism.As we know that Internet users are wealthy, well educated and interested in independent travel. so if you came to the internet and join hand with reliable company like India tourism ecatalog you cannot imagine the rapid change on your business. surely your business grow in very rapid manner.

Tourism and Technology

Technology plays a vital enabling role in tourism and travel and is crucial to expansion of the industry. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Tourism are two of the most dynamic motivators of the emerging global economy. Not only do they offer employment to millions of people around the world, but they also provide growth opportunities to underdeveloped and neglected region of the planet. Tourism is frequently able to develop economies through infusion of national and international demand and expenditure into local resources, services, and products. Increasingly, people have access to incredible resources and knowledge through the Internet. Several communities around the world are following India’s example in using technology to improve their participation in world affairs and to attract financial resources. Tourism and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are therefore the two key catalyst for enabling dynamic, innovative and knowledgeable communities and organization to communicate and interact with the outside world in order to import expenditure ad benefits. ICTs increasingly determine the competitiveness of the destination and therefore it is critical for the competitiveness of the industry in the longer term.

Community Based Tourism

The residents earn income as land managers, entrepreneurs, service and produce providers, and employees. At least part of the tourist income is set aside for projects which provide benefits to the community as a whole.
Tourists will spend time near areas that are rich in culture and biodiversity, and, at the same time, will get to know the locals at the grassroots level.

Many successful experiences in development countries prove that tourism can become a leading sector for the people who conserve natural resources and live on it. Local people of these countries jointly cooperate in Community Based Tourism and this gives not only economic benefits for them but also becomes an example of community involved decision making.
A community by definition implies individuals with some kind of collective responsibility, and the ability to make decisions by representative bodies.

Locals’ participation, traditional culture, cross-cultural issues and raise of local income are basic principles of tourism and it is fundamental to get more in depth for development countries where tourism is dominantly operate by great foreign companies.

Usually families’ interviews make obvious that locals are interested to take part in tourism activities but they don’t know how. Often the creation of Community Based Tourism is the best solution for local people or at least a great help for them for example in these countries where the main income is from livestock and the desertification, the spread of unproductive land deprived of vegetation, is one of the main concerns (like in Mongolia).

Community Based Tourism is the jointly planned and managed tourism activities of local group: this new business never can be the main or only income source of the communities and cooperatives but can be additional income possibility.

Issues like generating additional incomes for locals and reducing impacts on environment are included in the government policy about tourism, but there has been little implementation and no integrated policy at the national level.