Urban tourism holds immense potential to foster economic growth. For example, Paris generated $36 billion through tourism in 2022, followed by Beijing ($32.62 billion). Although Indian cities are nowhere near Paris, efforts are underway to boost city tourism by promoting the tourism aspect of Indian cities.
Urban tourism, or city tourism, holds a great prospect for generating both revenue and employment, as we can see in the case of Paris. Although certain cities serve as checkpoints for international tourists, they still have to make them stay in that city. In this regard, the cities featured in the list of the most powerful tourist cities have achieved great success. The potential of urban tourism harnessed by cities like Paris, Beijing, and Orlando is a benchmark for cities worldwide, including India.
International tourism plays a vital role in the prosperity of the tourism sector. For instance, the arrival of about 24.7 million international tourists (about 56 per cent of total tourists) in Paris in 2022 generated $36 billion in revenue. The market spending of these foreign visitors pumped money directly into local businesses’ hands, resulting in 3,10,354 employment opportunities in Paris.
On the other hand, big Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bangalore received around 4 million international tourists out of the 6.2 million that visited India in 2022. This was just 0.36 per cent of the 1.7 billion domestic tourist visits in the same year. So, there is significant potential for improvement.
Therefore, central and state governments are arduously trying to boost tourism, including city tourism. They are promoting the unique cultural, historical, and natural heritage of Indian cities on global platforms like the G20 to increase the number of foreign tourists.
Also, plans for enhancing travel efficiency via improved roadways, railways, and airways, along with better tourism infrastructure, are being pursued for a better tourist
experience.
Importance of FTAs
Foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) bring economic opportunities, including revenue and employment. The longer tourists stay in the city, the more money they spend there, which results in employment generation since that money goes directly into the hands of local businesses. This direct correlation between tourist expenditure and employment generation can be seen in the case of Paris.
As per Statista, international tourist spending in the city in 2019 was $11.66 billion. This came down to $5.46 billion in 2020 due to COVID-19, but since then, it has again picked up the pace. In 2021, international tourist expenditure in the city was pegged at $7.8 billion. At the same time, the French capital recorded 3,47,197 direct tourism-related jobs in 2019. This number dwindled to 2,78,307 in 2020, due to COVID-19, and again jumped to 3,10,354 in 2021 after the passage of the pandemic.
If Indian cities want to achieve success and monetary gains like Paris, they must promote themselves globally to increase the number of FTAs in India.
International marketing
Even though Indian cities witness a large influx of travellers, both international and domestic, they are not able to make them stay and visit their tourist spots. In 2022, foreign tourist arrivals in India via Delhi airport were 20,24,488 while 9,57,256 entered through Mumbai airport. However, the attendance of international visitors at 11 major locations in Delhi remained at only 2,79,866 in 2021–22.
While in 13 major locations in Mumbai, it was only 31,829. Which showed the need to popularise Indian cities. The year-long preparatory meetings for the G20 Summit became the largest exposure visits for more than 30,000 delegates from the 19 largest economies. During India’s G20 presidency, nearly 200 meetings preceding the final leaders’ summit were held in over 60 Indian cities. This allowed these cities to mesmerise international delegates with their unique cultures and tourist identities and turn them into ambassadors for Indian city tourism.
Connecting smaller cities
For smaller cities where foreign tourists cannot arrive directly, improving connectivity with the large cities is imperative; otherwise, all their efforts to promote the city tourism will go in vain. Dehradun demonstrates how smaller cities are arduously trying to tap into the potential of urban tourism.
Dehradun’s tourism potential lies in its geographical location, which makes it a transit hub for hill stations in Uttarakhand, as well as the cultural, natural, and historic sites within the city. In 2021 alone, 28,67,782 people toured Dehradun, of which only 1675 were foreign tourists.
However, efforts are already being made to improve the connectivity of the Himalayan city with larger cities like Delhi and Lucknow via roads and rail. In line with that, the construction of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is already in the final stage. The Vande Bharat Express is also being introduced to connect the city with Delhi and Lucknow. Also, Jolly Grant Airport is working on the modalities to run direct flights on the Dehradun-Kathmandu route.
To improve the overall tourist experience, the city is emphasising infrastructure facilities, including hospitality infrastructure. Already, there are 805 registered accommodation units, including 663 hotels and resorts, in the city. Additionally, the city is placed in Category A and B regions in Uttarakhand’s tourism policy for 2023. The state government is giving a 25 per cent capital subsidy for investing in Category A areas and 35 per cent in Category B areas.
Such efforts by governments to promote cities on the global stage, like the G20 and improving connectivity of smaller cities with larger ones will increase the inflow of tourists, especially foreign tourists. The improved tourist experience will make them stay in the city longer and enjoy its historical, cultural, or natural heritage.
This not only results in economic benefits, as you saw in the case of Paris, but also paves the way for people-to-people cultural exchange. The impact of this can be seen in the decision of the American Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, who is said to have dissuaded then-President Truman from nuking Kyoto for its cultural importance, as the former visited the Japanese city several times.