Destination News

From the viewpoint of a tourist, particularly from that of a foreign traveller, a word tantamount with India is 'culture'. Festivals have been generating a significant amount of tourists and are being recognised as a form of cultural tourism, by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), Govt. of India as well as the state tourism boards, with millions of tourists attending major Indian festivals each year. Cultural tourism is one of the significant branches of tourism. The World Tourism Organization suggests that more than 40 percent of all international tourists are "cultural tourists".

The study of festivals and events is now an important and prolific area of tourism research enquiry. Festivals and events have flourished in recent decades and interest in understanding their significance in the tourism academy has risen accordingly, stated Arun Srivastava, Deputy Director General/Regional Director, Northern India, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, "The festivals have changed over the years. Earlier festivals were associated with key calendar moments, linked specifically to particular seasons and heritage sites. Over the last decade these have been changed and developed, and there is now a broad and diverse range of festivals and events taking place all over India through the year."

Recognising the potential that this segment holds, Subhash Goyal, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) said, "Festivals have the potential to extend tourist seasons, peak seasons and introduce a "new season" for a destination. Events such as festivals not only attract tourists but also help to develop or maintain a community or regional identity. Festivals constitute one of the most exciting and fastest growing forms of leisure, business, and tourism-related phenomena."

Local festival celebrations have generated great curiosity in the domestic and inbound markets. This recent trend is turning into a big advantage for the Indian tourism industry and the major stakeholders believe that with the correct marketing and positioning of the festival or event, this particular segment may prove to be the biggest tourist pull for India.