Kerala On Top And Taj Mahal On Number Two In Google Search For Indian Tourist Destinations

Google has sprung up a new data, according to which Taj Mahal has been toppled by Kerala as the most favourite and searched tourist destination of India. The two destinations have different appeals. Taj Mahal is a monument known as epitome of love. But on the contrary, Kerala highlights its lush natural beauty and cultural distinctiveness. But it’s the infrastructure and concerted promotional efforts brought the change in the tally.

As per the data released by Google’s Zeitgeist site regarding the Google’s travel related search trends for India during year 2012, Kerala is on the top of the ladder. Taj Mahal is ranked as number two, Wagha Border number three, Vaishno Devi number four, Amarnath number five, Kashmir number six and Munnar at number nine.     

New Air India flights connecting Delhi-Agra-Khajuraho-Varanasi

Air India introduces two new flights AI 405/406 flights covering four major Indian tourist destinations- Delhi, Agra, Khajuraho and Varanasi.

The schedule and route of flight AI 406 will be as under---

From Delhi to Varanasi- departure from Delhi at 12:45 hours and arrival at Varanasi at 14:00 hours.
From Varanasi to Agra- departure from Varanasi at 14:35 hours and arrival at Agra at 15:30 hours.
From Agra to Khajuraho- departure from Agra at 16:05 hours and arrival at Khajuraho at 16:45 hours.

The schedule and route of return flight AI 405 will be as under---

From Khajuraho to Varanasi- departure from Khajuraho at 14:35 hours and arrival at Varanasi at 18:10 hours.
From Varanasi to Delhi- departure from Varanasi at 18:45 hours and arrival at Delhi at 19:55 hours.

The introduction of these two flights between Delhi-Agra-Khajuraho-Varanasi is testimony to Air India’s ability to find the gaps in services and capitalizing on them. These newly introduced flights cover most of the tourist destinations of ClassicalNorth India Tour.

Bottlenecks and Corrective Measures

India Tourism – Bottlenecks and Corrective Measures

India Tourism’s growth story is observing several bottlenecks like skewed supply viz-a-viz demand of hotel rooms, high taxes and several kinds of taxes, poor infrastructure, worldwide recessionary trend, double digit inflation, high interest rates, slowing economic growth rate etc have impacted tourism in India in 2012 very negatively. Though domestic travel is showing growth signs but inbound India travel is greatly affected. As Indian tourism industry contributes maximum in terms of employment generation, Government of India and various state governments need to address this highly important but hitherto neglected tourism industry. The tax structure must be rationalized and the tax burden should be minimized. Along with that infrastructure development must be spruced up to attract a greater share of International tourist arrivals. The cost of domestic airfares and hotels have deterred even the domestic travelers to move to Goa this year. Rather they opted for South East and East Asian countries as vacation holidaying. In lieu of the efforts from government agencies, the travel agencies of India should bring forth new Indian tourist destinations and hence more practical and enchanting India tour packages.        

Incredible Cuisines of Exotic India

A tourist on India tour must attach as much importance to Indian cuisine as one does to dance, music, science, technology, history, monuments etc. Each preparation is a product of complex interaction between large number of variables, e.g. temperature, spices, things cooked, be they varieties of meat, poultry, fish, seafood, vegetables, etc. There is also the human hand which cooks, the nose that smells, the eye which sees and the palate which tastes.

Ultimately a dish emerges with a distinct name and flavor. A vast amount of time goes into preparing such a dish which we tend to consume in less than an hour. If we take a time frame of 50,000 years, then we must remember that Homo-sapiens have spent almost 40,000 years in caves and sustained themselves by gathering uncooked roots and fruits and, later, by hunting animals for their physical survival. The cuisines of India are part of Indian civilization and forms of creative expression.   

India Tour- A Journey To Colorful Unknown

Do not try to see everything in India and indeed, as a tourist, don’t try to understand India. It will take two lifetimes to do that. Just let India flow over you.

In India everything is a contradiction: confusion on the surface, noise and secretiveness, mixed with an almost total lack of privacy. How can you be private with all those teeming millions around you? India is often exasperating and always absolutely fascinating.

All this, plus an all pervasive spirituality which is not necessarily religious but simply the product of a detachment which is uniquely and typically Indian. As a tourist you live, inevitably, in a cocoon and dangers to your health and well being are minimal provided you follow elementary rules. As for what appears to us to be abject poverty, the very fact that you are there and spending money, helps India.     

Visit Incredible India

Indians had labored and created a fabric of civilization weaving together its various threads. The monuments alone they built, carved and chiseled out; keep us enthralled today. The temple at Martand, the forts, the city at FatehpurSikri, the caves and frescoes at Ajanta, the temples of in Konark, Khajuraho and Madurai, the Taj Mahal at Agra, the ruins of Hampi- all showed the creativity of Indians.

Experience incredible India in the songs, dances, music and folk rhythms. The chanting of Vedic hymns and of Zend Avesta will stir your soul as does the haunting call of a muezzin’s azan at dawn.

Think of India, plan to travel India and move on for incredible India tour to explore exotically incredible India.  

Explore South India and Kerala

Every part of India is a different world altogether with its unique charm, distinctive traditions and rituals, different attires, localized cuisines, varying flora and fauna, different languages etc.

Stand at the end-point of South India (Kanyakumari) and see wave upon wave of the Indian Ocean eagerly rushing to meet the Arabian Sea. Canoe over the transparent backwaters of Kerala between Kottayam and Alleppey (Alappuzha) and smell the fragrance of cardamom and pepper; see the graceful arecanut and coconut palms swaying in the gales; see the lush green coffee, tea, rubber and cashew nut plantations. Wander from Thekkady to Coimbatore, then to Mysore and Mercara, contemplating the beauty of the Nilgiris.

Get submerged into fascinating beauty and charm of South India. Many tour operators in India offer several South India Tour Packages and Kerala Tour Packages. 

Delhi Travel Guide for Backpackers

Delhi is replete with numerous monuments containing history of more than 5000 years. With concrete and still existing monuments/ evidences of Mahabharata age is an experience that keeps you spellbound. Delhi is vast and circular. Though major monuments of Delhi you can see in 3 days but if you are interested in history, culture and their evolutionary evidences, Delhi travel may take more than 10 days. You can opt for mode of commuting out of several options available.

Auto- rickshaws are significantly cheaper than taxis, especially if advance bargaining is firm, but they have drawbacks in Delhi. The chief of which is their open sides, which offer no protection either from the cold or from the black exhaust fumes emitted, so it seems, by almost every vehicle. An additional advantage of taxis is that their drivers usually, but not always, know the city better, and they are also, of course, faster, quieter and more comfortable. It will certainly be more economical and convenient to arrange a daily rate for visiting South Delhi and a half day rate for North Delhi.

Much of Old Delhi and parts of New Delhi such as the west end of Raj Path and the Connaught Place area are best toured on foot.

In East Delhi, where several lengthy halts are made over a not very long distance, hire of a vehicle for a day or half a day is uneconomical. Cycle rickshaws are only permitted to operate in Old Delhi; they are suitable for short journeys and are great fun except, perhaps, for the cyclist- help him by dismounting on a steep incline.

Importance of Tourism Industry in India

Few facts about Indian tourism industry signify the important role this industry plays into India’s growth:

Ø  Indian tourism industry is the largest service industry in India.

Ø  More than 50 million international tourist arrivals take place annually in India.

Ø  Indian tourism industry boasts of having more than 562 million domestic travelers.

Ø  The contribution of Indian tourism industry to India’s GDP is whopping 6.23%.

Ø  Indian tourism industry is showing signs of maturity with segmentation or evolution of different kinds of tourism like- Eco Tourism, Tribal Tourism, Medical Tourism, Heritage Tourism, Adventure Tourism, Wildlife Tourism etc.

Ø  Indian tourism industry contributes 8.78% in total employment in India.

Ø  Indian tourism industry is one of the major churner of foreign exchange.

Keeping in view the above mentioned vital figures, Indian tourism industry needs big thrust in the form of promotion, infrastructure development and reviving ages-old ethos of ‘Atithi Devo Bhav’ to make India incredible. Growth of tourism will help in employment generation, earning foreign exchange, disseminating value systems of India and growth in allied industries.

Indian tour operators are contributing by promoting various destinations and rich cultural heritage through several India tour packages. 

Opportunity for Indian Tourism Industry from China

India has paltry share of .64% of total international tourist arrivals, though India probably has the richest repertoire of architectural monuments, diverse flora and fauna, more than 5000 years old culture, numerous languages and dialects, pantheon of gods, several sects, mind-blowing geographical landscapes etc. In this scenario, Indian tourism industry may hit a jackpot by attracting tourists from China.

China, as continuously high growth economy since decades, has grown into a booming tourist market, both inbound as well as inbound. As per the estimates, about 50 million Chinese people travel across the world spending roughly $40 billion per year. Out of these 50 million Chinese tourists, less than 1,00,000 travel to India on business and tourism.   

The recently released movie- Life of Pi, directed by Taiwan-born director Ang Lee, has been lapped up by the Chinese audience in China. The movie, shot in South Indian state of Puducherry (formerly known as Pondicherry), has generated lot of curiosity regarding India and Indian culture. Indian tourism industry is required to be warmed up to this kind of opportunity. India government can facilitate by creating world class infrastructure.

India has many things to highlight with concerted and well thought out promotion. India has lot more to showcase a guest on India tour like: gargantuan forts and palaces, golden desert of Jaisalmer, Buddhist sites like Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Ajanta, Sanchi; architectural marvels of Khajuraho temples and Taj Mahal; Royal Bengal tigers in Ranthambhore and Bandhavgarh, temples of South India, spiritual capital of India- Varanasi, beaches of Goa and Kovalam etc. Post liberalization, Indian tourism industry has grown with galloping rate. Various kinds of India tour packages are offered by Indian tour operators, catering distinctive needs of the tourists.