India’s Tourism Potentials at Global Frontiers: The Dynamic Perspective for Accelerated Economic Boost

Abstract

With the world economy increasingly growing, it is of utmost importance for every country to place itself in a highly dynamic and diversified competitive advantage position so as to be able to keep up with the pace for accelerated economic boost - India as a country is no exception. Against this backdrop, the present study explored how India’s tourism potentials can be harnessed on the global front for economic development. The study examined the present state of India’s tourism domestically and at world level. Moreover, it identified the factors inhibiting India’s tourism potentials at the global level and proposed strategies to overcome them. The exploratory and quantitative research designs were employed for this study and primary data was collected from 1440 respondents through a structured questionnaire and from secondary sources. Statistical tools such as the Regression analysis, Correlation analysis, Chi-square test among others were adopted to test the hypotheses of the study. The study was conducted in four most preferred tourist States in India, namely; Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala and Goa. The findings of the study revealed that India's domestic tourism is doing excellently well but more could be done to enhance promotion on the global level. There was also the issue of infrastructural deficits serving as a huge inhibitor to tourism on the global front. The study, therefore, recommended that tourism on the global front can well be developed if a critical attention is given to the rigorous development of these major sectors, viz: infrastructure development, tourism product development, human resources development, security development and market development.