More travellers likely to descend upon India in search of 'enlightenment'.

March 12, 2005

Amid the chaos, travel industry rides a boom

By Raja M

MUMBAI - India has bagged hosting rights to the fifth annual World

Travel and Tourism Council Meeting, leaving behind the United States

and China as also-rans in the race to host what council president

Jean-Claude Baumgarten called the " Olympics of the travel industry " .

Baumgarten declared that New Delhi being chosen as the venue for the

April 8-10 meeting was appropriate as he expects India's tourism

growth, growing at nearly 9% for the next few years, will be nearly

double that of tourism growth worldwide (4.5%).

Judy Slatyer, chief executive officer of Lonely Planet publications,

enthusiastically agreed with Baumgarten on India's growth potential

in an industry that is only now receiving greater governmental

attention, evident by the successful " Incredible India " campaign. ...

Sarina Singh, coordinating author of Lonely Planet's forthcoming new-

edition India guidebook (to be released next September), says

India's appeal as the spiritual home to the world is translating

into greater tourist inflows. " Whether it's a Buddhist's spiritual

inquiry and meditation retreat in Bodhgaya, or an invitation to

attend time-honored Hindu ceremonies in a family home, India is one

of the few places where the foreign traveler can directly

experience, not merely observe, spirituality, " said Singh. " Given

the West's growing interest in seeking authentic spiritual

sustenance in an increasingly materialistic, cynical and politically

volatile world, travelers are likely to increasingly descend upon

India in search of 'enlightenment'. "

Interestingly, Sarina Singh says tourists have reported that one of

India's greatest disadvantages - the chaos - is turning out to be a

great attraction for tourists. Travelers, tied up in their clockwork

routines at home, are enjoying being thrown into the uncertainties

of life. " They have relayed that going 'back to basics' ultimately

brings them closer to people living at the grassroots level, " Singh

remarked. " And it's often at this level where they discover simple

truths about life - truths that can make them reassess their own

lives. " It's this " incredible " selling point from which India's

tourism tribe is beginning to reap a rich harvest.

Raja M is an independent writer based in Mumbai, India.

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