When Narendra Modi sneezes, Maldives gets a cold. Millions of Indians, tour operators and airlines have given the cold shoulder to the island nation after three of its ministers dissed the Indian PM walking along the pristine sands of Lakshwadeep, shawl fluttering in the ocean breeze as he resolutely looked ahead, framed against the deep blue sky. As photos of him scuba diving or ruminating on a chair on the sea shore flooded the internet, the pro-Chinese Mohamed Muizzu’s Cabinet members jeered at India’s tourist infrastructure. Indians saw it as an attack on their beloved PM. ‘Boycott Maldives’ trended online. It was just another day in the life of Modi, whose mission is to be India’s ambassador diplomatically and geopolitically; now for tourism.
Modi is the maestro of symbolism. The social media blitz around his stroll created a massive buzz extolling the virtues of Indian beaches. Geopolitically, it was seen as Modi’s subtle attempt to promote the heavenly, unspoilt Lakshadweep as an alternative travel destination. The mockery and abuse prompted such a furious backlash from Indian celebs, corporate leaders and big-spending Bollywood bigwigs that Muizzu was forced to sack his three foul-mouthed ministers. After all, over one out of nine tourists to the island are Indians. Indian superstars who rarely holiday in India have now sworn to promote Indian beaches by urging Indians to ##ExploreIndianIslands. Union tourism minister G Kishan Reddy wrote on X, “The tremendous response transcending cultures and continents underscores the potential of India’s domestic tourism.” The minister’s remarks provoked a debate over why India has so far failed to be one of the top 10 tourist destinations.
Can India be a global destination?
With its 5,000-year-old culture and history, India is well ahead of many nations in offering destinations from forts to rivers, temples to churches, forests to wildlife, culinary miracles to handicrafts, and from a royal past to modern metropolises. It has over 7,000 km of coastline and over 1,000 forts that provide a glimpse of India’s regal past. India has the advantage of a massive English-speaking population, which many other attractive, tourist-friendly nations lack.
It’s ironic that over 20 million Indians go abroad as against less than 7 million foreigners who visit India every year. During the past decade, India has added over a dozen world-class airports. It has upgraded over 100 railway stations, added multi-lane expressways and transformed many cities into better habitats. India provides unlimited cultural diversity and a vast variety of folk entertainment. However, at present it ranks not even in the top 20 global tourist destinations.
Is India doing enough?
Not as much as it ought to. There is hardly any comprehensive tourism policy to promote Destination India worldwide. While private players are always belabouring the government for tax concessions, subsidised land and access to every government office and officials, they’ve done squat to sell India abroad as a stellar travel destination. All of them only promote the World Economic Forum at Davos and spend lavishly. The Indian government liberally finances business forums like the CII and FICCI to organise tony dinners and meetings at ski resorts.
On the other hand, most state governments hardly allocate enough funds to promote their states and India as a travel magnet. The Union tourism ministry’s budget is a meagre `2,400 crore ($300 million) for the entire year. It is less than the publicity budget of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Telangana. In the past, the lead was taken by a state like Kerala which burnished itself as a mesmerising destination under the legendary slogan, ‘God’s own country’.
Later, Gujarat under Modi deployed superstar Amitabh Bachchan as its tourism ambassador; he did a fantastic job by asking Indians, “Kuchh din Gujarat mein bita kar to dekho (See how a few days in Gujarat feel like).” Assam and Uttarakhand chose stars such as Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut to promote their states, but failed to create an intense impact because their messages weren’t aggressively accompanied by activity. Most of them rarely spend time holidaying in states they are hired to amplify. Many fly abroad to get married and post their holiday pictures on Instagram to make more money than they expect from state governments.
Of late, Modi has been taking a personal interest in promoting both domestic and international tourism around India by using social media extensively. He has been asking Indians to visit Indian holiday spots. But government officials haven’t created enough hype to match Modi’s moxie to attract foreign tourists.
Even Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Oman and the UAE have employed innovative techniques to attract tourists. Saudi Arabia has been boosting its tourism by hard-selling its village heritage. The @Visit SaudiX handle posted: “The quaint mountain village of Rijal Almaa is a hidden gem surrounded by green landscapes where you can see some of the country’s most charming historical architecture and culture.” Oman is equally proud of its past. Its X handle proudly declared: “It is the best time of the year to visit #MuttrahFort... to enjoy the cool breeze with a cup of hot coffee and a dazzling view that brings together the scent of the ancient past and the prosperous present.”
It is surprising that Indian officials, celebs, poltical leaders and business tycoons who frequently vacay in glamorous destinations haven’t been able to learn from these strategies and communicate their efficacy to the Indian government.
What are the roadblocks?
India’s cumbersome, bloated bureaucracy, the rising influence of foreign-funded eco terrorists, and a shortage of funds are causing maximum damage to the growth of tourism. Over the past 50 years, Indian mandarins have imposed more restrictions on creating modern tourist facilities in the name of protecting environment and wildlife.
A tiny island like Maldives has over 1,000 resorts built on the edge of the sea. Hotels, restaurants and water sports facilities embellish beaches worldwide. But Indian laws require over 40 clearances to set up even a small restaurant or a guest house near a beach or a semi-forested area. Access to historical monuments like the Taj Mahal is becoming more and more tortuous. Even forests have been vaguely defined. According to a Supreme Court judgement, if grass is grown inside a protected area, it would be a deemed forest. Rail and air connectivity is another major roadblock for tourism. India’s filthy public utilities, unsafe roads and unhealthy surroundings are deterrents too. Most Indian hill stations are becoming urban slums.
Tragically, Indians have failed to realise the economic and strategic importance of the tourism industry. Indians are obsessed with automobiles and mobiles instead. Obstacles are to Modi what a bugle is to a war horse. As India’s most powerful ambassador, it’s his next challenge after marketing India’s spirituality through yoga, soft power through vaccines and military power through Balakot, to make his visits to the country’s most alluring and exotic destinations into postcards of fascination. India’s message to the world is Atithi devo bhava (The guest is god). India cannot be a vishvaguru if it remains marooned on the island of apathy. The land which fascinated Hiuen Tsang and Ibn Battuta must become an enigmatic subcontinent of allure.
Prabhu Chawla
prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com
Follow him on X @PrabhuChawla