Types of Tourism in India

All types of tourism in India have registered phenomenal growth in the last decade ever since the Indian government decided to boost revenues from the tourism sector by projecting India as the ultimate tourist spot.

The reason why India has been doing well in all types of tourism in India is that India has always been known for its hospitality, uniqueness, and charm – attributes that have been attracting foreign travelers to India in hordes. The Indian government, in order to boost tourism of various kinds in India, has set up the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. This ministry recently launched a campaign called ‘Incredible India!’ in order to encourage different types of tourism in India.

The result was that in 2004, foreign tourists spent around US$ 15.4 billion during their trips to India. Being a country with tremendous diversity, India has a lot to offer in terms of tourism and related activities. The diversity that India is famous for, ensures that there is something to do for all tourists in India, no matter what their interests. The different types of tourism in India are as follows:

Adventure tourism

As a kind of tourism in India, adventure tourism has recently grown in India. This involves exploration of remote areas and exotic locales and engaging in various activities. For adventure tourism in India, tourists prefer to go for trekking to places like Ladakh, Sikkim, and Himalaya. Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are popular for the skiing facilities they offer. Whitewater rafting is also catching on in India and tourists flock to places such as Uttranchal, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh for this adrenalin-packed activity.

Wildlife tourism

India has a rich forest cover which has some beautiful and exotic species of wildlife – some of which that are even endangered and very rare. This has boosted wildlife tourism in India. The places where a foreign tourist can go for wildlife tourism in India are the Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary, Keoladeo Ghana National Park, and Corbett National Park.

Medical tourism

Tourists from all over the world have been thronging India to avail themselves of cost-effective but superior quality healthcare in terms of surgical procedures and general medical attention. There are several medical institutes in the country that cater to foreign patients and impart top-quality healthcare at a fraction of what it would have cost in developed nations such as USA and UK. It is expected that medical tourism in India will hold a value around US$ 2 billion by 2012. The city of Chennai attracts around 45% of medical tourists from foreign countries.

Pilgrimage tourism

India is famous for its temples and that is the reason that among the different kinds of tourism in India, pilgrimage tourism is increasing most rapidly. The various places for tourists to visit in India for pilgrimage are Vaishno Devi, Golden temple, Char Dham, and Mathura Vrindavan.

Eco tourism

Among the types of tourism in India, ecotourism have grown recently. Ecotourism entails the sustainable preservation of a naturally endowed area or region. This is becoming more and more significant for the ecological development of all regions that have tourist value. For ecotourism in India, tourists can go to places such as Kaziranga National Park, Gir National Park, and Kanha National Park.

Cultural tourism

India is known for its rich cultural heritage and an element of mysticism, which is why tourists come to India to experience it for themselves. The various fairs and festivals that tourists can visit in India are the Pushkar fair, Taj Mahotsav, and Suraj Kund mela.

The types of tourism in India have grown and this has boosted the Indian economy. That it continues to grow efforts must be taken by the Indian government, so that the tourism sector can contribute more substantially to the nation’s GDP.

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MEDICAL TOURISM

Medical tourism can be broadly defined as provision of 'cost effective' private medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical and other forms of specialized treatment

This process is being facilitated by the corporate sector involved in medical care as well as the tourism industry - both private and public. Medical tourism refers to traveling to other countries to obtain medical, dental, and surgical treatment. At the same time they could also tour, and fully experience the attractions of the countries they visit. Exorbitant costs of healthcare in industrialized nations, ease and affordability of international travel, favorable currency exchange rates in the global economy, rapidly improving technology and standards of care in many countries of the world, and most importantly proven safety of healthcare in select foreign nations have all led to the rise of medical tourism.

Why travel to another country for treatment?

Currently medical tourists are traveling in large numbers abroad where the quality of healthcare is equal to anywhere else in the world and yet the cost is significantly lower. These regions also offer numerous options for touring, sight-seeing, shopping, exploring, and yes, even lounging on sun drenched beaches. Although India, the East Indies, and South America are currently the most popular choices for medical tourists, the industry is growing so rapidly that more and more countries and medical centers around the world are beginning to tailor services aimed specifically at medical tourists, and the expectation is that the options for where medical tourists can choose to travel will continue to increase at a rapid pace

Where to go for Medical Tourism?

The countries where medical tourism is being actively promoted include Greece, South Africa, Jordan, India, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. India is a recent entrant into medical tourism. According to a study by McKinsey and the Confederation of

Indian Industry, medical tourism in India could become a $1 billion business by 2012. The report predicts that: "By 2012, if medical tourism were to reach 25 per cent of revenues of private up-market players, up to Rs 10,000 crore will be added to the revenues of these players". The Indian government predicts that India's $17-billion-a-year health-care industry could grow 13 per cent in each of the next six years, boosted by medical tourism, which industry watchers say is growing at 30 per cent annually.

Tea Tourism In India

Tea Tourism In India If a storm in your cup is what you need, India is the place to visit. Tea cultivation flourished in India when it was under the subjugation of the British Empire. Today India is the largest exporter of tea all over the world.

Over the years, tea tourism in India has gained immense popularity among globetrotters. Indeed, it is India's answer to wine tourism offered by European countries like France and Germany.

Indian Tea-estate owners and private travel agencies are uniting enthusiastically to present to tourists a taste of India's most popular beverage owing to its tea tourism packages to Assam and Darjeeling and other famous tea producing regions in India.

The wonder beverage is loaded with anti-oxidants and fights cancer. What's more, with herbal and green teas foraying their way into the market, the unpleasant effects of caffeine can also be given a miss. Flavored Indian teas are all the rage with tourists opting for tea tourism in India.

Prominent tea producing regions and thereby tea tourism sites in India are Darjeeling in West Bengal, Munnar in Kerala, Palampur in Himachal Pradesh, Ooty in Tamil Nadu, and Assam

Tea Tourism In India The very popular Darjeeling tea is grown on the foothills of the Himalayas, and is a cherished Indian black tea. Generally, Indians prefer their tea with milk and sugar. This convention may have originated during the British rule; alternatively the Indians may have passed it on to the British considering their fondness for cow's milk.

To increasing awareness about tea tourism, the Indian tourism ministry is determined to spread the word through online advertising, television and radio messaging as well as international conferences to boost tourism revenue

MICE Tourism in India

India, A Hot MICE Destination For Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions

MICE- the new form of business tourism is the fastest growing section of the International tourism market. It caters to various forms of business meetings, International conferences and conventions, events and exhibitions and is slowly but steadily capturing every big hotelier's attention. Being a hot favourite tourist destination, India is also very much into the business. After the hot-spots like Hong Kong, Malaysia and Dubai, India is fast gaining its pace in the competition to become an ideal MICE destination. With the advanced technology and facilities, warm hospitality, personalized services coupled with immense natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, the goal seems to be not very far. MICE tourism is the new buzzword in the international tourist market and relates to various business groups and individual travelers.

The importance of the MICE industry lies in the fact that it converts the annual business meetings and conferences into a glamorous and enjoyable event for the delegates and attendants. Be it a meeting to bring people together either from within one company or from a broader spectrum or an international conference of 100 delegates or product launch party or exhibition, MICE tourism finds itself being inevitable in all the occasions. To grow the business tourism in India, the country boasts of some world-class convention centres. The Ashok, New Delhi; Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad; Le Meridien, Cochin are forerunner in the Indian MICE tourism facilitating both domestic and International level of business meetings and conferences.

Major MICE Destinations in India


Hyderabad Delhi Cochin Noida Chennai Agra