To the man who lived to inspire....

One Billion Tourists One Billion Opportunities...

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”

                                                                          Quote- St Augustine

We travel to unravel our innermost self, we travel to explore the unexplored path, we travel to relish the beauty of nature, we travel, not to escape life, but for life to escape us! Travelling is no longer an activity undertaken out of compulsion; instead it is becoming a way of life. There are innumerable blogs, articles and journals penned down either out of the overwhelming experiences of travelling or the inspiration that the journey etches upon one’s thoughts. In the words of Ibn Batuta, ‘Travelling- It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a story teller.’ It is certainly an appropriate quote, which objectifies a modern day traveller and their way of thinking.

‘One Billion Tourists One Billion Opportunities’, the theme chosen for this years’ World Tourism Day, throws light upon the lucrative sector of tourism through its prowess and global competency with other sectors. The opportunities for those with a passion for travel and tourism are practically endless – tourism is not only a huge growth market it’s a worldwide phenomenon. It is no longer a single industry alone but a repository that archives several other trade and commerce within its sphere. The travel and the tourism industry is believed to be one of the world’s largest service industry globally, in terms of gross revenue and foreign exchange earnings and is also one of the largest employment generators in the world.

Every time we travel, for whatever reason, we indulge into a global movement; a movement that has the power to drive an all-encompassing development, create jobs and construct the sustainable societies we want for our future; an evolution that builds mutual understanding and can help us safeguard our shared natural and cultural heritage. The number of international tourist arrivals grew by 4% in the first half of 2015 according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Destinations worldwide received some 538 million international tourists between January and June 2015, an increase of 21 million compared to the same period of 2014.

With increasing number of tourists’ footfalls on a global platform, it thus sets forth abounding opportunities in the tourism sector, waiting to be exploited by its work force. If we talk about India, which is a harbour in itself for tourism activities, the probability of administering enriching experiences to the tourists is in abundance. The age-old charm in its unique architecture, the mystifying tales hidden in its forts and monuments, the diversity in its rich culture and traditions, which traces its chronology since time immemorial, the colourful festivals and the picturesque landscapes, India is a comprehensive destination, which has the potential to tap the- One Billion Tourists One Billion Opportunities, tagline, in its true sense!

Tourism is not merely a rewarding division that caters to a promising career. In fact, there’s much more to it. It is a field of turning dreams into reality, transforming plain aspirations into magical realism. A tourism service provider is not like any other professional, working towards achieving their target, both personal and organisational. But they are the craftsman to others vision. They work together to making those imaginations a living certainty. As they say it, “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer’, thus, it is not just a journey from one place to another but an emotional bequest that a traveller carries all along. Hence, it makes it even more significant for tourism professionals to imbibe sensitivity while charting out a client’s travel preferences. Also, innovative platforms such as high impact and low volume tourists to allocate to niche market, forensic and scientific centres for tourism, etc; could be incorporated for a more refined experience.

In a recent speech by our beloved Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi at the United Nations, he mentioned: “Eradicating poverty is a holy responsibility”, “We are all dreaming of a world that is free from poverty”. The above excerpts from his speech are notably important and it could only be accomplished if more jobs are created. With the growing demand in the tourism sector it is most likely to be achieved only through a dedicated work force. The job opportunities and options are limitless provided they are in sync with the right attitude. According to the 2015 Economic Impact Annual Update Summary, tourism contributes 9.8% of total World GDP, thereby, exhibiting great potential of latent prospects that the industry has.

The choices we make shape the journey we take and the journey of thousand miles begins with a single step... These are the steps that are etched out on the memoirs of time. And as shown in a television commercial, featuring actor Amir Khan for Atithi Devo Bhava, highlights on the hospitality given to tourists, the warmth of which echoes across the seven seas! Tourism is more than just about reaching a destination – tourism has a global reach. It is a pursuit of promoting peace and prosperity between nations and serving as the gateway to greater understanding of the world beyond our borders.

In the words of Alexander Sattler – “I would rather own little and see the world than own the world and see little of it.” One billion tourists’ one billion opportunities waiting to be seized multiple-fold...