Out-of-the-box tourism options

Despite the recent stories about Haryana being the newest hub for spouse tourism — to coin a phrase — it may be premature to conclude that to be the major factor which helped the north Indian state pip Goa for the 10th place in the list of domestic destinations for tourists from abroad. Indeed, there are suspicions that the entire phenomenon may be actually more to do with the outbound inclinations of Haryanvis than the impulses of inbound foreign bahus-to-be. Still, the fact that it has prompted an influx to a state once deemed to be devoid of lure for foreign tourists, with the notable exception of Gurgaon, perhaps, shows that opportunity can present itself in the most unexpected ways.

That Tamil Nadu retained its top spot in the inbound list as well as the domestic tourism one is equally noteworthy, especially as the former is being attributed to another little-appreciated segment, namely medical tourism. Given that Goa has suffered in recent times due to the prevalent economic conditions in its key market, Russia, other Indian states that wish to make a mark in inbound tourism in the future may want to consider the alternatives offered by the Haryana and Tamil Nadu successes. Even out-of-the-box options unique to an area or a particular period could provide a crucial fillip, like election tourism in Bihar and West Bengal.