Diversification And Innovation In Indian Tourism

Indian tourism has a huge unrealised potential.

Twentyfirst century tourism calls for tourism diversification and realisation of relevant specialisations through innovations. Some recent examples of tourism diversification include adventure tourism, wildlife tourism, religious tourism, medical tourism, wellness tourism, and weekend tourism.

Adventure tourism

Due to a diverse landscape, India is increasingly gaining momentum as an adventure tourism destination for domestic as well as international tourists. The Himalayan range in the north and east, numerous difficult-to-reach rivers and lakes and the more than 7,500 km of coastline offer a wide range of adventure activities in India. Summers are generally preferred for trekking in the high mountains apart from the Chadar trek in Ladakh which is done in winters. Additionally, biking expeditions in Ladakh are gaining popularity during the summer months. Travellers also prefer scuba diving in the nonrainy seasons in numerous beach locations like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Goa among others.

With growing number of travel operators offering unique adventure experiences that are gaining traction among the youth, the market of adventure tourism is experiencing a growth. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.4% during 2017-23 and there has been a 42% increase in popularity of high altitude regions among adventure travellers over the past three years. The Indian tourism department observed 2018 as the ‘Year of Adventure Tourism’ to promote this segment.