AN OVERVIEW OF TOURISM POLICIES IN INDIA AND THE STATE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR

After oil and motor vehicles, tourism industry is the third largest economic activity in the world. It is also one of the fastest growing sectors of economic activity. This sector has urged both the private sector and the government to wake up and to realize the need to study tourism and its consequences, as the number of tourists and tourism industry itself has made a tremendous growth. Tourism activities have not only generated economic benefits but have also promoted national integration and international understanding among different countries of the world. Tourism industry has also supported the local handicrafts and many cultural activities of many developing countries, India is no exception. In Indian economy tourism industry has created employment on a large scale and has also positively contributed to the foreign exchange earnings, and has emerged as one of the dominant sector of Indian economy. This paper covers the brief review of the policies of tourism industries which were mainly formed for the development of the tourism industry in the country and in the state of Jammu and Kashmir