Traveling through India, I found a country that pleasantly surprised me. I've drawn my own conclusions but one person's perspective can't cover a country of a billion people. Articles and statistics are one thing, but to be on the ground is different. To provide an informed and insightful picture of the state of Indian travel and tourism, ITI's panel of experts weighs in on travel and tourism in India.
India can claim the world's fourth largest economy. Its recent 8.9% growth rate is among the highest in the world. Of course, tourism is also changing.
In 1996, the Ministry of Tourism reported 2.3 million arrivals, yet in 2005, the inbound tourist count was 4.2 million -- and it's expected to cross 5.5 million in 2006 according to RNCOS. Further, a report on tourism in India from the WTTC highlights that the last decade isn't an aberration, predicting 8% tourism growth per annum between 2007 and 2016.
Lee Gimpel
Editor
