Buddhist Tourism Report
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TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE SPIRITUALISM Buddhist Tourism - Linking Cultures, Creating Livelihoods TITLE TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE SPIRITUALISM: Buddhist Tourism - Linking Cultures, Creating Livelihoods YEAR September, 2014 AUTHORS Public and Social Policies Management (PSPM) Group, YES BANK No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form by photo, photoprint, COPYRIGHT microfilm or any other means without the written permission of YES BANK Ltd. & ASSOCHAM. This report is the publication of YES BANK Limited (“YES BANK”) & ASSOCHAM and so YES BANK & ASSOCHAM has editorial control over the content, including opinions, advice, statements, services, offers etc. that is represented in this report. However, YES BANK & ASSOCHAM will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by the reader's reliance on information obtained through this report. This report may contain third party contents and third-party resources. 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All other information, products and services offered through the report are offered by third parties, which are not affiliated in any manner to YES BANK & ASSOCHAM. DISCLAIMER The reader/ buyer hereby disclaims and waives any right and/ or claim, they may have against YES BANK & ASSOCHAM with respect to third party products and services. All materials provided in the report is provided on “As is” basis and YES BANK & ASSOCHAM makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, including, but not limited to, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title or non – infringement. As to documents, content, graphics published in the report, YES BANK & ASSOCHAM makes no representation or warranty that the contents of such documents, articles are free from error or suitable for any purpose; nor that the implementation of such contents will not infringe any third party patents, copyrights, trademarks or other rights. In no event shall YES BANK & ASSOCHAM or its content providers be liable for any damages whatsoever, whether direct, indirect, special, consequential and/or incidental, including without limitation, damages arising from loss of data or information, loss of profits, business interruption, or arising from the access and/or use or inability to access and/or use content and/or any service available in this report, even if YES BANK & ASSOCHAM is advised of the possibility of such loss. Maps depicted in the report are graphical representation for general representation only. YES BANK Ltd. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India Tushar Pandey Senior President & Country Head - PSPM D. S. Rawat Secretary General Registered and Head Office 5, Sardar Patel Marg 9th Floor, Nehru Centre, Chanakyapuri Dr. Annie Besant Road, New Delhi - 110021 Worli, Mumbai - 400 018 Tel : +91 11 4655 0555 CONTACTS Tel : +91 22 6669 9000 Fax : +91 11 2301 7008/9 Fax : +91 22 2497 4088 Email : [email protected] Northern Regional Office Website : www.assocham.org 48, Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri New Delhi – 110 021 Tel : +91 11 6656 9000 Email : [email protected] Website : www.yesbank.in Shri Shripad Yesso Naik Hon'ble Minister of State for Tourism & Culture (I/C) Government of India Transport Bhawan, Parliament Street New Delhi - 110 001 MESSAGE (Shripad Yesso Naik) 16 September, 2014 Hkkjr ljdkj i;ZVu ea=ky; ifjogu Hkou] laln ekxZ ubZ fnYyh & 110001 Government of India Ministry of Tourism ijost+ nhoku Transport Bhawan, Parliament Street lfpo New Delhi - 110001 Tel. : 91-11-23711792, 23321395 Parvez Dewan Fax : 91-11-23717890 Secretary E-mail : [email protected] FOREWORD For a country which believes in “Atithi devo bhava”, tourism has emerged as India's fourth biggest foreign exchange earner growing at CAGR of 13 percent. With a contribution of 6.6 percent towards India's GDP and 7.7 percent towards total employment, India's Travel, Tourism and Hospitality industry has the potential to induce sustainable development at the grassroots and become the backbone of our economy, truly adding 'Inclusiveness' to Vibrant India. In his vision of 'Brand India', Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also underlined the importance of Tourism and Tradition as great enablers. The Buddhist Circuit is a globally important route for over 450 million Buddhists across the world, especially in East and South East Asian regions, making it an important platform for strengthening bilateral and cultural ties. However, despite its cultural and religious significance, Tourism infrastructure along the Circuit remains relatively undeveloped and large volumes of tourists have failed to translate into higher incomes for the local communities. The cornerstone of our National and State policy framework should therefore be to nurture a business environment conducive for the private sector, encourage and invest in local enterprises and domestic industry as well as foreign investment to build quality infrastructure, hotels, and services at these sites, therefore creating better economic opportunities and jobs. The Government has demonstrated a strong focus in the sector through significant budget allocations such as INR 500 crore for developing five tourist circuits and the proposed development of Sarnath-Gaya-Varanasi Buddhist circuit. Additionally, the Ministry of Tourism has launched a comprehensive plan - Integrated Tourism Development of the Buddhist Circuit in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar - which will further boost infrastructure development, skill development, increased market access and involvement of communities. I am confident that these initiatives will be vital for continuing critical mass momentum and infusing demand into the under-leveraged inbound segment. YES BANK is committed towards the development of sustainable tourism infrastructure and a comprehensive policy framework with a future outlook of the next 20 years and beyond. I am pleased to present the YES BANK - ASSOCHAM Knowledge Report 'Towards Sustainable Spiritualism: Buddhist Tourism - Linking Cultures, Creating Livelihoods' which highlights key opportunities and focus areas in the Indian Buddhist Tourism sector. Thank you. Sincerely, Rana Kapoor President MD & CEO MESSAGE India's Buddhist heritage spans millennia across the entire subcontinent and large parts of South and South East Asia. Laying host to Lord Buddha's journey, and the subsequent development of the social and moral precepts of Buddhist thought, the plethora of intangible as well as tangible Buddhist heritage has made the Buddhist Circuit one of the most popular tourist products that India has to offer. Tourism in India, especially Buddhist tourism has the potential to deliver socio-economic benefits in developing states, engender cross-cultural respect, inculcate pride and encourage conservation of natural and cultural resources. Through the prism of local culture, Buddhism has inculcated diverse practices and traditions. Sustainability in tourism can be achieved through fostering community participation in business which will not only promote inclusive growth, but will also strengthen the forward and backward linkages of the industry and ensure innovation and optimum resource utilization in design and implementation of strategic tourism projects. Tourism Policy needs to work towards building mind-space, safety measures, stricter guidelines, capacity building and handling medical emergencies through dedicated forums and deliberation with key stakeholders. Institutional collaboration with South-East Asian nations for development of 'Spiritual Tourism' will lead to sustained economic growth in the region. I am certain that the publication 'Towards Sustainable Spiritualism: Buddhist Tourism - Linking Cultures, Creating Livelihoods' will provide an innovative platform for various stakeholders to create sustainable business enterprises around Buddhist Circuit. Thank you. Sincerely, Dipak Haksar Chairman, ASSOCHAM National Council on Tourism Chief Operating Officer, ITC Hotels MESSAGE Religious and Spiritual Heritage of India is unparalleled. Buddhism, itself spans thousands of years from Lord Buddha's footsteps to King Ashoka's disseminations. One of the major unifying characteristics of South, South-East and East Asia, the Buddhist heritage spans a long and rich history dating back to almost 2, 500 years. India holds the unique distinction of being the source of origination for the Buddhist philosophy, holding within its boundaries a number of significant destinations that Lord Buddha traversed on his path of enlightenment. Linking these destinations towards promoting domestic and international tourism builds a stronger fabric of brotherhood and friendship. I am sure