Is tourism sector growing under Modi's reign?

Tourism can generate huge employment. For example, an average hotel with 100 rooms can generate 300 direct employments in 3 shifts. PM Modi is promoting Indian tourism more significantly than past governments. His way of doing things is always associated with hype, publicity and phot-ops but it works!

Mamallapuram

During second informal India-China summit with Chinese leadership, Indian PM Modi acted as a tour guide for his chief guest Chinese emperor on 11-12 October 2019 to show various tourist spots of Mamallapuram (old name Mahabalipuram) near Chennai. He was wearing a south Indian dress which became talk of the town. Left librandµ intellectuals and part of media criticised Modi’s south Indian dress because they are programmed to criticize Modi every day. The event was shown across the world by media and this UNESCO heritage site became extremely popular for international tourists. In year 2021-22, Mamallapuram toped tourist site visited by international travellers in India out performing Taj Mahal of Agra.

Statue of Unity

Statue of Unity has become most visited tourist place in India by Indian tourists, out performing Taj Mahal of Agra. During its construction phase and later during operation phase, left librandµ intellectuals and media criticised this gigantic Rs 3000 Crore project as waste of tax payers money, involvement of Chinese construction worker, design defect due to which rainwater comes inside from viewing gallery etc.

The reality was Statue of Unity had higher footfall within a year of opening out performing Taj Mahal visitor numbers. Then Covid-19 lockdown came but despite that, new rail line to that remote tribal location and rail services, seaplane service from Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad etc made were made available to boost tourism. It is clear how much effort has been made by the government (both state & centre) to develop the remote tribal place. Left librandµ intellectuals like Dhruv Rathi will keep cursing Modi and BJP but that doesn’t stop or slowdown ‘an elephant’. There is a proverb – elephants do not get distracted by dog barks!

Taj Mahal was India’s icon for the rest of the world and within the country for last 70 years.

After 2014, nobody is saying ‘Wah! Taj Boliye’! Obviously, left librandµs and peaceful jeh@dis will never appreciate that and keep complaining till they move abroad just like Dhruv Rathi and Arundhati Roy migrated abroad. Rather, there is a new thrust on cleanliness of river, city, elimination of open defection etc.

Not just plastic pollution behind Taj but also highly polluted Yamuna

Some other great initiatives post 2014 regarding tourism are -

1. UNESCO heritage site listing – Dholavira and Ramappa Temple (2021), Jaipur city (2019), Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018), Ahmedabad city (2017), Architectural Work of Le Corbusier Chandigarh and Nalanda Bihar (2016), Rani ki Vav stepwell Patan (2014). Notice the previous government focus on Mughal architecture was missing.

2. ‘Blue Flag tag’ for the sea beaches is another marketing tool to promote tourism in a country. Blue Flag tag beaches is awarded to clean, safe and well-developed beaches around the world. Some of the countries with maximum Blue Flag tag beaches are Denmark (300), France (492), Greece (434), Italy (409), Portugal (323), Turkey (458), Spain (684)(latest figure may be higher). Most of these countries are in Mediterranean Sea and enjoy great tourism revenue. Even our film starts and cricketers go there for getting married with high publicity!

Blue flag tag countries get maximum high revenue tourists. India’s neighbour Maldives is one such example where all Bollywood film stars go for chillout

India’s international tourist visitors rank is 25. India with coastline of more than 7000 km with tropical islands in Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep has only 12 Blue Flag tag beaches. This is because we never focused on these listing earlier. Recently in October 2020, eight Blue Flag tag beaches were added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described certification for Blue Flag tag for eight Indian beaches as a wonderful feat, and said it showcases the importance India attaches to protecting such spots and furthering sustainable development. In 2022, two more beached added to the list. The recent beaches to get Blue Flag tag are these beaches are Shivrajpur (Dwarka, Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden Beach (Puri, Odisha), Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) & Thundi Beach and Kadmat (both Lakshadweep).

3. Medical tourism boomed – City hospitals of Kolkata receiving more international patients from neighbouring Bangladesh (with valid visa).

4. Intangible Cultural heritage tag of UNESCO – Kolkata Durga Pujo got this in December 2021. So, celebration time for Mamata Banerjee.

Picture source: Google

P.S. – Some tourism data is for year 2019 as Covid-19 pandemic started in 2020

Tamil Nadu’s Mamallapuram beats Taj Mahal in number of foreign visitors

A tourism ministry report also says Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra accounted for 65.41% of total domestic tourist visits in 2021-22.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chennai/tamil-nadu-mamallapuram-taj-mahal-foreign-visitors-8187574/

More visitors at Unity Statue than Taj

While unveiling the new Tourism Policy 2021-25, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani ... While unveiling the new Tourism Policy 2021-25, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in January said the Statue of Unity (SoU) at Kevadiya received more visitors than the Taj Mahal in Agra. The new policy aims to develop specific areas in the state. Similar to the concept in the West, the government also wants to develop caravan and beach tourism like in Goa. Addressing the media, the Gujarat CM said, “We want to boost the service sector industry by developing the tourism infrastructure in the state. In the latest tourism policy we have stressed more on developing specific focused areas like we have developed the SoU site at Kevadiya. The SoU has received an overwhelming response from tourists as it receives more visitors than the famous Taj Mahal.”

https://www.indiaempire.com/article/92705/more_visitors_at_unity_statue_than_taj

Statue of Unity earned 3 times more than the Taj Mahal in the last 12 months

Statue of Unity, the 182 metres tall marvelous structure, has often been severely criticized by left-liberal intelligentsia of the country. Absurd arguments like, the money spent on Statue of Unity could have been used to build hospitals, and schools have been put forward time and again. Social media economist and YouTuber, Dhruv Rathee wrote an […]

https://tfipost.com/2019/11/statue-of-unity-earned-3-times-more-than-the-taj-mahal-in-the-last-12-months/

Two more Indian beaches get ‘Blue Flag’: What is this coveted eco-label?

India now has 12 'blue' beaches, a certificate awarded by the prestigious international programme of cleanliness and environmental sustainability run by the global nonprofit Foundation for Environmental Education

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-climate/indian-beaches-blue-flag-coveted-eco-label-8233731/

Durga Puja in Kolkata is now UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

UNESCO commends the involvement of marginalised groups and individuals as well as women

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/durga-puja-in-kolkata-is-now-unesco-intangible-cultural-heritage/article37964078.ece