Social Tourism is an emerging business now days all around the world. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, India's growth rate in tourism is expected to increase, which makes India a very desirable tourist destination. In 2009, India's growth rate was ranked the highest of all south-east Asian countries, and travel and tourism contributed 6 percent ($67.3 billion) to the gross domestic product, which was expected to increase to $187.3 billion in 2019. Travel and tourism also contributed over 6 percent of total employment, which means that as of 2009, about one in every 15 citizens worked in this service industry. In 2009, over 31 million people were employed in travel and tourism; this number is expected to increase to over 7 percent by 2019. Many tourists are attracted to the export industry, which includes gifts, crafts, textiles, leather, home furnishing, gems and jewelry. With the increase of tourist visits, the export industry earned $16.9 billion in 2009, which will increase to $51.4 billion by 2019.
India benefits from all sections of tourism; however, in 2009, India's medical tourism earned $2.2 billion of revenue annually, according to a FICCI-E-value serve study. It is estimated that 1 million medical tourists will receive treatment in 2012. Medically insured patients from all over the world come to India to get medical surgeries, dental care or holistic and Ayurvedic treatments. Medical tourism in India provides immediate treatment for low-cost prices at world-class hospitals. Most treatments cost one-fourth the price compared with Western prices. For instance, in 2009, open heart surgery cost $6000 in India compared with over $19,000 in the United States. Travel expenses are needed, but overall expenses are still cheaper than surgery in the home country. Wellness tourism, which consists of travelers coming to India for yoga, meditation, naturopathy, spa treatments and Ayurvedic remedies, is a demanding industry and most well known in the state of Kerala. Delhi, Mumbai, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the leading destinations for medical tourism.
With 89 national parks and over 400 wildlife sanctuaries, there are many untouched areas to explore. Eco-tourism educates travelers on sustainable living and how to enjoy the natural beauty of the environment through recreational activities. According to the World Tourism Organization, eco-tourism is the fastest growing market in the tourism industry, with a 5 percent annual growth rate. Eco-trips can range from a variety of activities including trekking, biking, scuba diving, camping, yoga, meditation and volunteering projects. These allow tourists to experience flora and fauna of the local culture. Tourists can see how local people live, and eco-tourism provides a positive experience that recognizes man and nature can function together. "Green Laws" in India encourage tourists to be conscious of decisions to capitalize on the economic, environmental and social benefits of tourism. Following these laws educates tourists not only about how to travel properly but also about how they can visit sacred areas without disturbing the natural flow of the ecosystem.
Eco-tourism benefits the economy of the local culture and provides jobs and maintenance of what pure lands India has left. A main benefit is the economic gain and the attraction of local travel agencies. Not only does eco-tourism reduce negative impacts on the environment, but it empowers the locals. Keeping India's land clean and sustained allows wildlife to survive in a natural, unpolluted environment. This requires the locals to preserve the environment for future generations by supporting the International Human Rights and labor agreements.
Social Tourism gives more opportunities to explore new places and do lot more activities, through social networking groups. There are examples like WAYN, already available with millions of members. I am working on a Mobile based Social Tourism project for a client – for organizing business processes. I see lot more opportunities for IT and non-IT people. After this project, let us share more about best practices, career opportunities, processes about social tourism networking in near future.
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