Sustainability can be achieved by increasing community participation in business, where collaborative community models like cooperatives and Self Help Groups (SHGs) offer platforms that promote inclusive growth and strengthen backward linkages of the industry, apart from ensuring social equity. Given the fact that most parts of India are still unexplored by domestic and international travelers, the policy planning needs to imbibe measures that enable communities to take part in the economic growth offered by tourism. In order to succeed, sustainable tourism requires the combined effort of the host community, tourists, and private and public partnership.
Modern technologies give us clear insights and easy to use tools to advance sustainable and inclusive growth and go far beyond cashless transactions and reservations. Data analytics can help small entrepreneurs scale their business by providing insights into consumer spends and help municipal corporations with better crowd management and urban planning. Enabling a cashless ecosystem for tourists, introducing value added products like the Incredible India travel card, application of GIS and emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), amongst others, are some key areas where India has the expertise and competitive advantage.
This CII-YES BANK report provides insights into the global sustainable tourism industry and highlights opportunities in India. It was released at the CII Annual Tourism Summit held on 14 December 2017 at New Delhi.