Tourism is respected the world over. In the western part of the world, it has always been important so much so that it was once upon a time, almost till the mid nineteenth century, an integral, though informal, part of upper class education. Even in India, it has been not been any different. In fact, once upon a time, to get "vidya" meant leaving home, getting used to a way of life very different from one's own household, which trained the disciple in the modes of lived life, and not merely only in modules of theory.
Times have changed totally now, and thus the very way of the world. Education is no longer wisdom. Given the onslaught of information via the infotech way, it is often not even knowledge. Rather, it is more an "up-skilling" in an industry-'wise' way!
Actually, be it the spice trade or even earlier still, the silk route, India has always been a great tourist destination. Such an attraction is but inevitable, given the inherent vast variety that our continent size country celebrates. We are 'multi-' in many a ways. The Tourism Day on January 25 pays tribute to that varied wonder called India.
In India, there are so many geographical, historical, natural, religious, spiritual, artistic, artisan sites that a lifetime would not be enough to cover them all. We must not forget the burgeoning health tourism. Why, until the absolutely necessary stringent laws were put in place, many a parts of the Indian hinterland were h(e)avens of surrogacy tourism!
Given the rise of the aspirational middle class, post 1991, added to this unending list are the foreign destinations, often popularized by the Bollywood. Now a days, highly personalized, individuated tours that could include stay-in's are acceptable, why, in fact, popular! Very soon space tourism might no longer be a 'special appearence' scenario. Already adventure tours, whether up the summits or beneath the seas, are the "been there, did it" blasé feel, no longer the right of the rich.
Such is the 'wanderlust' of Indians that the Covid pandemic and the reverse migrant rush during the summer of 2020 with its heart rending visuals of the 'long march' could not dull it. Every week end, the sites near cities need blockades now in the wake of omicron!
If the tourism and hospitality related service sector is to grow ethically, protection of nature and sustenance of environment must be the goals. Only then can we now reiterate that "touring wide makes a (wo)man healthy and wise".
pratima@ in memory of the childhood excursions!
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