India's Untapped Tourism Goldmine Isn't Goa Or Kashmir, It's Small-Town India

When discussing the section of tourism in India most people think of the beaches of Goa, the valleys of Kashmir, the palaces of Jaipur, and the backwaters of Kerala. Such places will always attract many tourists, but what will influence tourism in India is other places that are not so developed. Here traditions and cultures are still being preserved. As the trend of travel changes and tourists start avoiding tourist destinations, there will emerge many possibilities for other places in India. Modern travelers differ from those in the past. The new big opportunities for travel opened thanks to the trend of experiential tourism.

Infrastructure Is Finally Improving

One of the main obstacles to tourism development in smaller towns has been the accessibility of these places. The situation is changing now. Better highways and rails, more regional connections, and improvements in digital navigation have made these beautiful places popular among travellers who didn't think of visiting these destinations. Various government programs that were launched to support domestic tourism, heritage conservation, and regional connectivity have also motivated people to visit places other than their chosen tourism routes.

Along with it, the emergence of digital payment technologies provided a huge boost to travel in small towns. Tourists can manage cashless payments with local businesses, and online booking services have enabled many small and family-run hospitality businesses to reach customers nationwide. Consequently, the travel ecosystem is nothing but convenient for travellers.

The Effect On Local Economies

The effects that tourism has on the economy of a town are not as focused as the tourism of the bigger cities. Tourists spend their money not on big hotels, but they also help the local economy by supporting farmers, craftspeople, restaurants, hotels, tour guides and transportation in that area. These kinds of activities help a community to keep its traditions alive because it gives jobs to people who live there and let them continue their way of life by moving to work in a city. Hence, tourism is beneficial for local handicrafts and food traditions.

Popular tourist locations have been dealing with the issues of excessive crowds, increasing litter, harm to nature, as well as pressure on the local infrastructure. One of the countries that follows the trends is India. Local communities can redistribute the visitor flow, relieve the popular destination and improve tourism development in the area. Travellers will also benefit as they will be able to enjoy a quieter, cheaper and more cultural travel experience, which allows them to avoid queues and enables responsible tourism practices. Decentralisation will benefit both the tourists and the local community.

Tech Utilisation For Underdeveloped Areas

Social media is known to be capable of turning remote areas into hotspots within a night, but being viral does not provide sustainability.  Digital storytelling, virtual tours to explore heritage, travel advice based on AI technology, multilingual guides, and collaboration with local creatives allow the presentation of small towns to a broader audience without losing authenticity. For infrastructure projects to be considered successful, they must be accompanied by specific practices such as preservation of the heritage of the towns, management of waste caused by tourism, norms of environmental protection, and development of local skills. It is also important not to create replica patterns for places and to make sure they have their own unique identities.

Practically every town has a story which can be based on history, culture, food, crafts, literature, music, nature, etc., and such stories should become the basis for tourism development.

The Future Of Indian Tourism

Indian tourism will not prosper in the same way it did before, creating second Goas or Kashmirs. It is necessary to understand that the main advantage of India lies in its diversity presented in thousands of small towns that have not yet become a subject of tourism development. As people are gradually making their choice for authenticity rather than fetishes of popularity, these small towns can become the new leaders of the tourism industry. It should be understood by the tourism industry that the real treasures of tourism lie not in the popular sites, but in the bazaars, unknown fortresses, workshops of artisans, ghats, fairs, and traditions of small towns of India.

Ravi Gosain is President, IATO

FAQs