Although several countries have issued travel advisories against travelling to India, the tourism industry there is flourishing. Recently USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand and others have warned their citizens against traveling to India due to security concerns.
Last year, India reclaimed its position as a favored Asian destination by posting a 24 percent rise in foreign tourist arrivals as compared to 2009. According to the tourism ministry, the state of Maharashtra was at the numero uno spot with over 5 million foreign tourists in 2010. This was followed closely by Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. In Maharashtra, the places of interest to foreign tourists are heritage spots like Ajanta, Ellora and Elephanta caves, sun-kissed, sandy beaches and revered religious and historic venues like temples, forts and places of pilgrimage.
Recent newspaper reports also indicate that peace has finally returned to troubled Kashmir valley which received an influx of over 11 hundred thousand tourists (both domestic and foreign) this year. Often dubbed as “Paradise on earth”, Kashmir’s natural Himalayan terrain and the mountainous landscape attract several tourists to spots like Dal Lake, Mughal Gardens and Srinagar.
The Mysore Palace was recently ranked by New York Times as one of the must-see 31 places in the world. Each year, 2.5 million tourists visit the palace which is located in the state of Karnataka. Until September 2011 the number of foreign visitors flocking this place was over 60,000.
India has asked the Australian government to recall the travel advisory and is also expected to raise the issue with representatives in Canada and New Zealand. According to Indian officials, such advisory is “rather disproportionate and contrary to the current tourism trend in India”. The Indian government is confident that the situation on the ground is safe enough for tourists to enjoy the splendid destinations that the country has to offer.