Tourism Project

Introduction
India is called a tourist's paradise where not only the natural beauty but also glorious historical places, monuments are existing. The splendor of Taj Mahal, ancient architectural beauty of Ajanta, Ellora caves, the temples of Tamilnadu, the fort places of Rajasthan, the flora and fauna of Kanyakumari, the Puri temple of , the hill stations of Ooty, Darjeeling, Kodaikanal, Shimla, Manali, the show mountains of Himalayas, all are such attraction for the tourists, rarely found in other country or continent to the world.
Tourism in India is the largest service industry, with a contribution of 6.23% to the national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. India witnesses more than 5 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and 562 million domestic tourism visits.[2][3] The tourism industry in India generated about US$100 billion in 2008 and that is expected to increase to US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4% annual growth rate.
Rajasthan (Land of Kings), Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh were the top four states to receive inbound tourists.
According to World Travel and Tourism Council, India will be a tourism hotspot from 2009–2018,[6]having the highest 10-year growth potential.[7] The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2007ranked tourism in India 6th in terms of price competitiveness and 39th in terms of safety and security.
Conclusion
In spite of lndia, endowed with such beautiful spots, the tourist's are not coming India in such multitude is a point to ponder. Though flow of tourists rose from 1.2 ion in 1981 to 3 million in 2003, yet the number is not as expected.
To promote tourism as a flourishing business the government has to initiate proper measures to facilitate the tourists coming to India. Be it an Indian or a foreigner, must be taken to see that the time spent by the tourists at a place must be enjoying, comfort and they must cherish the sweet memories of the place, of the people. The journey enjoyed by rail, bus, or by air must be comfortable. Tourists also like safe destinations, cheap and comfortable accommodation and hygienic condition is and restaurants. Separate windows be provided to cater the needs of the at all Railway/Bus/ Air platforms.
We can remove all such obstacles for promoting tourism, if the people, the government, and all those involved in the tourism industry work together honestly and whole heartedly. Everyone should realize that tourism not only helps us earn money and foreign exchange but also generates employment, and thus enhance the living standard of the people. It also promotes national integration, and international understanding and boosts indigenous handicraft industry and local cultural activities.
India, always warm and inviting, is a place of infinite variety - one that favours you with a different facet of its fascination every time you come on a visit.

The Tourist spots of India can be grouped under these categories: * World Heritage Sites * Wildlife (National Parks) * Hill stations * Islands * Pilgrimages and Spirituality

World Heritage Sites in India The World Heritage Sites in India recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) are 28, as of 2010.[1] These are places of importance of cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.
Agra Fort Agra fort is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. Akbar made it his capital and arrived in Agra in 1558. His historian, Abdul Fazal, recorded that this was a brick fort known as 'Badalgarh' . It was in a ruined condition and Akbar had it rebuilt with red sandstone from Barauli area inRajasthan.

Kajuraho group of monuments
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Khajuraho, a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples.It is considered to be one of the "seven wonders" of India.

Sun Temple at Konark
Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century Sun Temple (also known as the Black Pagoda), at Konark, in Odisha. It was constructed from oxidizing and weathered ferruginous sandstone by King Narasimhadeva I. It is one of the Seven Wonders of India. The temple takes the form of the chariot of Surya (Arka), the sun god, and is heavily decorated with stone carving.

Group of Monuments at Hampi
Hampi is a village in northern Karnataka state, India. It is located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Hampi is identified with the historical Kishkindha, the Vanara (monkey) kingdom mentioned in the Ramayana. Hampi is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra river.

Chhartrapati Shivaji Terminus
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus, prior to that Bori Bunder Station[1]) and better known by its abbreviation CST or Bombay VT, is a historic railway station in Mumbai which serves as the headquarters of theCentral Railways. It is one of the busiest railway stations in India, and serves Central Railway trains terminating in Mumbai as well as the Mumbai Suburban Railway. The station was designed by Frederick William Stevens, a consulting architect in 1887-1888. In 1996 the Minister of Railways, Suresh Kalmadi, changed the name of the station to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

Pilgrimages and Spirituality
Akshardam Delhi
Akshardham is a Hindu templecomplex in Delhi, India.[1] Also referred to as Delhi Akshardham or Swaminarayan Akshardham, the complex displays millennia of traditional Indian and Hindu culture, spirituality, and architecture. The complex features a large central monument crafted entirely of stone, exhibitions on incidents from the life of Swaminarayan and the history of India, an IMAX feature, a musical fountain, and large landscaped gardens. The main monument, at the center of the complex, is 141-foot (43 m) high, 316-foot (96 m) wide, and 370-foot (110 m) long,[7] and is covered top to bottom with carved details of flora, fauna,dancers, musicians, and deities. Akshardam holds the Guiness World Record as the World’s Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple.
Bahai Temple
The Bahá'í House of Worship in Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple due to its flowerlike shape, is a Bahá'í House of Worship and also a prominent attraction in Delhi. It was completed in 1986 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent.
Golden Temple
The Harmandir Sahib also Darbar Sahib (also referred to as the Golden Temple),[1] is a prominent Sikh gurdwaralocated in the city of Amritsar, Punjab (India). Construction of the gurdwara was begun by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan. Harmandir Sahib means "the abode of God".

Wildlife(national Parks)
Gir National Park
Gir is the only home in India for the Asiatic Lion of which there are nearly 300 in the park. The Gir National Park lies in the Gujarat peninsula in South-Western India. The terrain is rugged with low hills and the vegetation is mixed deciduous, with stands of Teak, Acacia, Jamun, Tendu and Dhak trees, interspersed with large patches of grasslands. The trees on the hills are sparse and stunted. Within the sanctuary, there are numerous human settlements of cattle herders called Maldharis with an estimated 20,000 head of livestock (which, incidentally, forms a significant part of the Lion’s diet). There are also places of Hindu worship and pilgrimage and sulphur springs at Tulsi Shyam and Kankai Mata. The edges of the park have good population of Indian Gazelle, protected by religious sentiments of the local people.
Fauna - Snakes such as the Indian Rock Python along with the four venomous varieties of Indian Cobra, Common Krait, Saw Scaled Viper, Russell's Viper. Other main wild attractions are Nilgai, Chinkara, Sambhar, Black Bucks, the four horned Antelope, Wild Boar, Indian Flying Foe, Grey Musk Shrew, Indian Hare, Pale Hedgehog, Small Indian Mangoose, Small Indian Civet, Indian Pangolin, Indian Porcupine, Ratel, Indian Fox, and Jackal.
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Situated within the confines of the Western Ghats in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve is one of the most captivating wildlife parks in the world. Periyar (also Thekkady) is a park where one can witness playful pachyderms, whose population is currently around 800. The population of tigers is also increasing appreciably. The terrain ranges from hilly to flat grassland areas at the edges of the lakes. The vegetation is of moist deciduous type.
Herds of playful wild elephants have made Periyar Lake their favourite haunt for frolicking in the water. Scores of them can be witnessed bathing and swimming here. The Indian female elephants do not possess tusks like their African relatives. Some 260 species of birds are found at Periyar. These include darters, cormorants, ibises, grey herons, mynas, flycatchers, orioles, wood pigeons, kingfishers, kites, ospreys, thrushes, and an appreciable number of blue-winged parakeets. Other inhabitants of Periyar include the leopard, wild dog, barking deer, mouse deer, Nilgiri langur (a primate), bonnet macaque, sambhar, porcupines, squirrels, gaur (Indian bison), wild boar, and sloth bear. Islands
Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep, also known as the Laccadive Islands, is a group of islands in the Laccadive Sea, 200 to 440 km off the coast of the South West Indian state of Kerala. The islands form the smallest Union Territory of India. The total land area is 11 sq mi or 32 km². Ten of the islands are inhabited. Lakshadweep is the northern part of the erstwhile Lakshadweepa. The islands are the northernmost among the Lakshadweep-Maldives-Chagos group of islands, which are actually the tops of a vast undersea mountain range, in the Indian Ocean and theArabian Sea.[2]
Due to its isolation and scenic appeal, Lakshadweep is emerging as a major tourist attraction for Indians. This brings in significant revenue, which is likely to increase. Since such a small region cannot support industries, the government is actively promoting tourism as a means of income. Water sports activities such as scuba diving, wind surfing, snorkelling, kayaking, canoeing, water skiing, yachting and night-voyage into sea are adventurous as well as quite popular among tourists. Hundreds of varieties of living corals, dolphins, sea turtles, sea urchins, seabirds,seaweeds, sea cucumbers, starfish, cowry, clams, eels, swordfish, octopus and innumerable types of lagoon triggerfish, etc. are a real delightful treat to the eyes of a naturalist. Tourists flock these islands throughout the year except during the South-west monsoon months when sea is extremely rough.
Tourism is developing into an important industry. Important tourist places are Agatti, Bangaram, Kalpeni, Kadmat, Kavaratti and Minicoy, etc. 13,115 tourists visited this year 2008-09 of which 2,852 are foreign tourists.

Andaman and Nicobar
Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been recognised as an eco-friendly tourist’s destination. As a tourist paradise, these islands have something very special to offer like Cellular Jail, Ross Island and Havelock Island.
The Andaman tropical evergreen rain forests, beautiful silver sandy beaches, serpentine mangrove-lines creeks, marine life abounding in rare species of plants, animals, corals, etc., provide a memorable experience to the tourists. There is tremendous scope for enjoying nature in the beach resorts, water sports and adventure water sports, adventure tourism like trekking, Island camping, Nature trail, Scuba Diving, etc.
Tourism Department runs guest houses in various parts of the Islands for comfortable accommodation to tourists visiting these Islands. The important places of tourist interest are Anthropological Museum. Marine Museum, Water Sports Complex, Gandhi Park, North Bay, Viper Island, Ross Island, Chidiyatapu, (Bird watching), Red Skin Island, Corbyn’s cove Beach, Islands like Neil Island, Havelock Island, Cinque, Little Andaman, Diglipur (Ross and Smith), etc.

Hill Stations
Kullu
Kullu, the headquarters of the district, is situated at an altitude of 1200 mt on the confluence of Savory rivulet and Beas river. Though it is somewhat warm during June and early July, but for the rest of the year provides a delightful and healthy climate. the annual rainfall is about 40", of which a little less than a half occurs during the winter months from October to March. There is not much snowfall during the winters but the snow clad peaks look very beautiful. Kullu district offers many attractions to the tourists. It has rich art and cultural heritage, lush green deep meadows, dazzling rivers, white capped snowy peaks and high mountains. The district has incomparable Beas and its sub-valleys which are full of natural charm and grandeur.
Manali
Situated near the end of valley, Manali is one of the most attractive tourist spot not only of Himachal Pradesh, but of International fame also. Manali is synonymous streams and birdsong, forests and orchards and grandees of snow-capped mountains.Manali is the real starting point of an ancient trade route which crosses the Rohtang and Baralacha passes, and runs via Lahul and Ladakh to Kashmir while divergent road connects it with Spiti. Now the motor link have been provided up to Leh in Jammu & Kashmir, Pangi valley in Chamba and Kaza of Lahul & Spiti. There are regular bus services to these places from Manali during summer season. It is situated at a distance of 45 kms from Kullu.
Nainital
The hill resort of Nainital tourism is dotted with places of tourist interest. Amongst the many landmarks in Nainital is the Naini Lake. The Lake is also referred to as the Tririshi Lake. The tourists find the lake breathtakingly beautiful. You may even enjoy boat rides on the lake. Nainital Boat Club also offers yachting facilities at the Lake. The prime attraction of Nainital hosts the annual Kingfisher Yachting Competition in the third week of June.

While in Nainital you must visit the Cheena Peak or the Naina Peak. You can enjoy the panoramic vistas of the snow-capped Himalayas and the Nainital Valley. Then there is the View Point that is another vintage point in the hill resort of Nainital tourism. Check out the spectacular sights of the Himalayas and the Tibetan borders too. You may carry or hire binoculars to get the better views. You may take the ropeway that starts at the Mall in Nainital.

Athithi Devo Bhava
Athiti devo bhavah (English: 'The guest is God' or 'Guest become God')[1] is a Sanskrit verse, taken from an ancientHindu scripture which became part of the "code of conduct" for Hindu society. Atithi devo bhava regards a procedure of the Host-Guest relationship. Recently it has also become the tag line of India's Ministry of Tourism's campaign to improve the treatment of tourists in India.
India attracts millions of tourists each year, 3.3 million in 2003, but lags far behind other destinations.[1] To attempt to improve the number of tourists travelling to India, the Tourism Department of India started the Atithi devo bhavah campaign with the theme The Incredible India.[1]
'Atithi Devo Bhavah' is a Social Awareness Campaign aimed at providing the inbound tourist a greater sense of being welcomed to the country. The campaign targets the general public, while focusing mainly on the stakeholders of the tourism industry. The Campains provides training and orientation to taxi drivers, guides, immigration officers, police and other personnel who interact directly with the tourist.[1]
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan is the brand ambassador of the 'Atithi Devo Bhavah' campaign for the Ministry of Tourism.

Incredible India
Tourism is a major industry in India and the Ministry of Tourism launched a campaign to promote Incredible India as a tourist destination in 2002.[2] The phrase "Incredible India" was adopted as a slogan by the ministry. In 2005, the government invited the private sector to contribute in raising awareness about and showcasing "Incredible India".According to spending data released by Visa Asia Pacific4 in March 2006, India emerged as the fastest-growing market in the Asia-Pacific in terms of international tourist spending. The data revealed that international tourists spent US$ 372 million in India in the fourth quarter (October-December) of 2005, 25% more than in the fourth quarter of 2004.

Problems
India's tourism industry has a worker shortage. Insufficient accommodation, unclean rooms and food problems plague tourists who come to India. Many places in the interior of the country are not well-connected by proper roads, railways or airways. Excessive bureaucracy also delays new hotel and transportation projects.
Tourists are often exploited economically, and criminal elements in India can make visits to India unsafe for women and elderly tourists.
The tourist attractions in India are also being damaged by pollution. Oil refinery smoke is damaging the Taj Mahal, while ecosystems of the coasts, Rann of Kutch and the Himalayas are being battered by pollution.

Read more: Problems With Tourism in India | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5463563_problems-tourism-india.html#ixzz1PpuLfcD0
Effect of Tourism Problems in India
These problems have contributed to India's low share of 1 percent of the world's total tourist arrival percentage. It also leads to concentration of tourist attention to certain parts of the country. For example, the transport and communication industries of Delhi-Jaipur-Agra in northern India and Bhuwaneshwar-Konark-Puri in Orissa are preferred over other equally attractive Indian destinations. These problems also shorten the tourist season in India, which then leads to unemployment in off-seasons.
Tackling Problems * To tackle worker shortages, the Indian government has set up the Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism Management. A large number of private-sector training centers are also being set up.
Single-window clearance schemes can help the government quicken the process of approval of tourism infrastructure projects.
Relaxing tax burdens on the Indian citizens will promote domestic tourism as people have more savings for vacations. More cost-effective medical treatment has made India the world's second most preferred medical-tourism destination.

Read more: Problems With Tourism in India | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5463563_problems-tourism-india.html#ixzz1Ppuf393P