Sustainable tourism in India: Progress and challenges

Abstract

This paper investigates the issues faced in sustainable tourism development in the country considering the environmental, socio-cultural and infrastructural scenarios in different regions of the country. The author of the study mentions that around 318 million visits were received by the state of Uttar Pradesh, 219 million for Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh had 193 million visits as a tourist 'hub' in 2022. The price of tourism packages such as Lakshadweep Samudram, a five-day tour, costs between Rs 25,500/- to Rs 37, 500/-. Environmental impacts include issues such as a growing number of visitors to environmentally sensitive areas such as the Himalayas and Sundarbans, increasing garbage generation in regions such as Goa, and loss of traditional heritage in the Indian state of Goa among others. Government programmes seem to have a large potential, but their effectiveness is reduced by the lack of consistent implementation and poor infrastructure. Such priorities include community-based tourism, good waste management practices and strict enforcement of the regulations.