Why India's tourism traffic will plateau out....

Its holiday time in London (August is the school break month here). And an ideal time for the Incredible India campaign to be around. Surprisingly, I don't see much of it around. I believe it is money well saved.

Tourism is something that I am not really convinced about. Consider this, the largest markets for outbound tourism and travel, logically, should be the USA and the EU? Now only 20% of US citizens have a passport. (I am not kidding here). Two, US citizens do not need a visa to travel to the EU, unlike travel to India. Three, EU passport holders do not need a visa for travelling within the EU. Four, given the sheer width of locations available within the US and the EU, which citizen from these parts, who can afford a decent holiday will even think about acquiring a visa to travel to a country so far away when he can get all he wants within the confines of these regions with minimum hassles?? Only three types of people would still be interested in visiting India. One, the real budget traveller who cannot afford a holiday in these parts will think about India. Two, somebody who already knows about India and has some knowledge about the place (parents visited India, studied about India, fascinated about cultures) would risk the trouble to make the trip. Three, the poor little business traveller who cannot avoid coming over.

Historically, India has not been able to attract its potential of ones and twos. And once these two pots run out, I believe that tourism traffic will plateau out in the years to come...