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Tourism is the second largest industry in India, generating over 25 million direct jobs. In recent times, monsoon tourism has seen a big boom, thanks to price cuts in holiday packages, attracting budget tourists. With the south-west monsoon setting in, tourists are being offered a unique ambience of the season for unwinding and rejuvenation. A look at the new tourist season. Monsoon is traditionally considered by a vast section of people, especially if you live in a place like Delhi or Bangalore, as a season of miseries. But then there are states like Kerala and Goa, for example, which are packaging the rains to attract tourists all year round. Thanks to the Tourism Board of India, tourists, who generally kept away during three months of southwest monsoon, are increasingly realising that the season can be quite rewarding and an invigorating experience with ayurveda, India's traditional system of medicine, thrown in. According to Ayurveda practitioners, the body is most receptive to the therapeutic and restorative powers of herbs and oils when the atmosphere is dust-free and cool. So, combine monsoon and ayurveda, and you have a winning combination. The success, the country has achieved in marketing monsoon has given a boost to the government's attempt to promote tourism as a major economic activity. According to tourism industry experts, the country, with its unique tourist selling propositions, can definitely increase domestic tourism from the present six to 12 million and international from 350,000 to one million. It is estimated that the increase in international tourist arrival alone would create additional employment of approximately two million (as per international norms, every tourist creates 3.5 jobs) and generate business of Rs 3,000 crore. According to a World Travel and Tourism Council report, tourism in Kerala is expected to grow at the rate of 11.40 per cent per annum till 2013. There is no dearth of infrastructure for ayurveda in Kerala since this traditional system of medicine is practised widely in the state. Consequently, there has been a surge in the inflow of tourists ever since the state tourism started promoting monsoon in a big way. Though most hotels have facilities for ayruveda therapies, the health-conscious tourists prefer the traditional treatment centres. The state's success has encouraged several states to explore the option of using the monsoon to attract tourists during off season also. Orissa, Uttaranchal and Madhya Pradesh have already launched campaigns in this regard. Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Orissa are seen as states which have the potential to be monsoon tourism destinations. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has stressed the need for intensive campaign to market monsoon tourism given that India's share in the global tourism is dismal, hovering at only 0.40 per cent. The CII feels the monsoon packages should be devised keeping in view the local tourist attractions, natural beauty, infrastructure and hospitability of the local populace.
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