--- I Documentation Update 2005-06 • • • • - --- , I J)o('uI1H'Il/ulin)) ('pc/ulc I Our Note • HOW CREDIBLE IS "INCREDIBLE INDIA!"? • Making a mark on the international tourism map The final report published in Feb, 06 of the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA)for India prepared by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) for the Ministry of Tourism provides insights into the role of tourism in Indian economy. The report emphasizes that Indian tourism has come of ageand is internationally comparable and credible. Global recognition to Indian tourism has been accorded by the 73rd session of Executive Council of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) whereSecret ary General, Francesco Frangialli, praising the country's tourism policy and the "Incredible India" campaign, said that he hoped the country would record the highest growth rate in tourist arrivals by the end of this year. I ndia's tourist arrival growth rate in 04·05 of 13%, matching that of China's, has upgraded India's position as a preferred tourism destination in Asia. India's status in the world tourism scenario was further enhanced when it was unanimously elected as a member of the ExecutiveCouncil of the UNWTO. Financially too, tourism has become a priority sector at the central and state levels. The plan allocation for tourism sector at the central governmentlevel has increased from Rs. 786 crores in 2005·06 to Rs.830 crores in 2006-07, out of which 422.5 crores is for the development of tourism infrastructure alone. The 'Incredible India' campaign and extensivepromotional initiatives of the IridianGovernment in tourism has been attributed as a key reason for India's positioning as an important tourism player. There has been a significant expansion of the Incredible India campaign and it has come to include several more states and regions under its focus. The campaign has also resulted in states competing with each other for central budgetary allocationsand hiring national and international consultants to promote tourist destinations more aggressively, incorporating new rhetoric and concepts such as ecotourism, farm tourism, rural tourism and other such forms. In the light of the growing success of Indian tourism internationally, even greater emphasis has been laid on "high value, low volume" tourism in some of the states· the rationale of such assumption being that high value tourism will induce development of high end infrastructure with added financial gains through tourism revenues. ' In its bid to continuously improvise and take new shapes and forms to attract all kinds of clientele - the latest buzzword is medical tourism. The trend is of promoting different cities such as Hyderabad, Bangalore and Delhi as hubs for medical tourism to attract international patients into large private·run hospitals that � offer specialized medical services at prices much lower than international standards. The 'greet and treat' concept is integral to this new idea. The central Tourism Ministry is participating at the Medical Tourism Expo in the UK in June 2006 to showcase the medical facilities available in India. Although foreigners and NRls coming to India for treatment is not a recent trend, the last few years have seen the Tourism Department leveraging this trend to package it as a new tourism product of "Medical Tourism" with simplified visa procedures for international patients being outlined prominently inthe national tourism website. Flying high - tourism and the aviation sector boom in India The tremendous boom in the aviation industry 2005·06 has resulted in better connectivity between tourism destinations all over the country. There has been a growing trend of low cost private airlines aggressively entering the market. The sectors, which were considered economically non viable earlier (like North Eastcand Andaman) are now well connected even by private airlines. Our section C24 - Civil aviation highlights this trend. It is expected that domestic tourism sector will witness an upward growth with air travel no longer a privileged mode of transport for the .soCial and economic elite. Entry of new players has not only Jed to aggressive p'rice wars but the adoption of novel marketing strategies by airlines to attract customers. One such strategy in particular chooses to highlight its female staff on board as "models in the air". The booming aviation sector has also brought in additional proposals of the modernization and privatization of airport.)at major India cities -a movewhich saw vehement challengeby workers unions but which the central government is determined to see through .. Business as usual For the last 50 years, mini ng, dam projects and industries continue to feed voraciously on natural res'ource rich areas and be major threats to ind igenous and local communities, and the environment. The threats from these developments have been visible enough and have generated immense resistance from adivasi com mu n ities across states. Tou rism too, is gradua Ily a nd subtly penetrati ngtri ba I areas using forests, water and tribal culture as potential products. In 2005 the Government of India introduced the Fo rest Rights Bill, which for the first time recognized the rights of forest dwelling communities over their resources. However since its introduction in Parliament, 9 months and three parliamentary sessions later, no decision has been taken yet on its status. Significant opposition to its tabling has been from a section of 'conservationists and wildlife experts' who have contested the bill on the grounds that granting more rights to indigenous and local communities over forest lands would result in biodiversity loss and habitat change. Simultaneously the very same Government has, in a rather sneaky manner, brought back Schedule V and VI areas within the ambit of the country's commitments under WTO agreements like the GATS with 110 stakeholder consultation. With the already rampant privatization of common property resources in these areas, exposure to the GATS and the foil owi ng investment in service sectors will increase the threat being faced by indigenous communities. Tourism being an important service sector will have a free reign, without being accountable for its adverse impacts. No longer a colluder but a key facilitator in the process of non-pa rticipatory development- is the centra l government with the star role being played by the Ministry of Environment and Forests- MoEF.The Ministry is on a drive to do away with even the meager protection that current environmental laws offer to suit the needs and demands of industry giants_ As part of India's commitments to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) was prepared in 2002 through a consultative process but has not been approved to date. The reason quoted is that it is 'unscientific.' The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification first issued in 1994 was withdrawn and EIA for tourism has been removed in the new draft Notification. The Coastal RegulationZone (CRZ) Notification issued in 1991, first diluted by tourism lobby that wanted a free entry into coastal stretches has been amended 20 times to date - with each amendment further diluting its provisions. But now the MoEF has decided to replace the CRZ Notification with a management plan. These well orchestrated changes at the policy and legal spaces has effectively given tourism a holiday from accountability and is business as usual with no pretensions of a tint of green. As we go into press with this issue of the DocUpdate, policy battlelinesare being drawn on SEZ, on Rehabilitation and Resellement policies, and trying to ensure that the hard fought Right to Information is not diluted. As people continue to fight and struggle ... With a development model that is clearly not in favour of the majority of its people but oriented to suit the needs of the country's social and economic elite, communities and affected people have come together in their fight to reclaim democracy and the right to determine their form and pace of development. The past year has seen many a struggle - by the adivasis of Kalinga Nagar against the mining plans of industry giant Tata on their lands; by the people of Chattisgarh to reclaim the right over their river water which was callously sold away, by the people of the Northeast against state oppression, militarization and an imposed model of development fuelled by money and support from international institutions like the World Bank and ADB; by farmers from across the country protesting in Hong Kong against the WTO-induced trade regime in agriculture thatthreatens the livelihoods of millions in India and other farming countries; by the villagers of Plachimada against Coca Cola to stop the cola giant from using and contaminating the water of the village; by the slum dwellers of India's burgeoning metropolises to fight for space and the righ't to live with dignity; by the bar girls of Mumbai to retain their right to work and feed their families. As the poor, under-privileged and socially marginalized continue to fight, the government has not only continued to endorse such an anti-people development model but has used its state and military power to suppress voices of opposition and rebellion. The current form of tourism development is a component of this paradigm that continues to support the privileged without tending to the needs and aspirations of communities which has and will continue to inspire campaigns towards a more just and democratic model. This issue of the DocUpdate covers the period April 2005 to March 2006. The information included isindica tive, tracing tourism, development and other broader issues, with the focus being largely on India. The information is organised and presented based according to the sections and sub-sections of EQUAT IONS documentation centres classification code. The data at the end of each item indicates the source.