India has witnessed a high growth within the tourism sector. Moreover this country has enabled a consistent attraction of adequate foreign tourists within three years back. It has been seen that five million foreign tourists have visited India in the year 2007, as being against to 4.45 million in the year 2006 and 3.92 million in the year 2005. However the year 2004 and 2005 witnessed the emergence of tourism. It became one of the main sectors for the growth of the economy of India.

Promoting Indian tourism

There are certain measures which are taken by the Government of India for the promotion of tourism. Those vital steps which have been taken for grabbing the attention of many foreign tourists are as follows:

• Competitive promotion of the Indian tourism by the campaign of “Incredible India”. It usually runs in a prominent manner in to the magazines and TV channels the entire world. There are certain road shows in the major countries within Europe.
• An integrated development of the infrastructure of tourism in the tourist places and circuits.
• Increasing growth of the infrastructure of hotels, especially the budget hotels.
• Effective operations of domestic flights
• Longer term of the multiple entry tourist visas for about five years, which is extended for the tourists in eighteen countries. Those are Vietnam, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Spain, Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and France.
• A broad television and print campaign which is run nationally for preserving the India’s rich culture and heritage and highlighting the effects of tourism. It also denotes a warm hospitability for the foreign tourists and cleanliness of the country.
• The ministry of Tourism has officially accepted 225 projects and has also allocated Rs. 4.6 billion in the year 2007 to 2008 for the promotion of tourism as against of 0.5 billion in the year 2004 to 2005.
• There is an estimated requirement for about 240,000 hotel rooms, but the present availability is only 90,000 rooms. However the Ministry of tourism is offering incentive for developing luxurious hotels and also the category of budget.
• An enthusiastic concentration enhances for accreditation of real tourist operators, skilled manpower with the hospitability sector and to be English speaking.

The Problems

Various foreign tourists who are visiting India feel the following issues:
• Various tourist site environments are not healthy.
• The services and facilities are not good in various tourist spots.
• Insufficient transportation for reaching and continuing the journey.
• The facilities for quality food and lodging are not up to the mark.
• Lack of sufficient security, making the tourists to feel unsecured.

Moreover the foreign exchange earnings had increased ranging from Rs. 16, 429 crore to 21, 828 crore till December. Indian and China were named as the potential countries by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). It has been done so for obtaining a phenomenal growth within tourism industries in the next ten to fifteen years.