For India, tourism most essential as it acts as:
- A major force for preservation of arts & crafts.
- Preservation of heritage monuments/wildlife.
- International understanding.
- Opening up backward & far-flung areas.
- Distribution of income from developed areas to under developed regions.
- Women empowerment.
- Rural Development through rural tourism steps.
- Over all infrastructural development as tourism is a multi dimensional activity. Waterways, Roads, Aviation.
- A sense of pride in peoples mind by having knowledge about unique qualities of the country.
- Steps for poverty elimination.
- National Integration.
- Source of Foreign Exchange earnings to help in balance of payments & international trade.
All these are not only essential for India but have opened up new challenges – specially to sustain the advantages which India wants to achieve through tourism.
