Hospitality runs deep down in the tradition and culture of India. India boasts of being the home to one of the oldest civilization in the world. Incredible India is how the world’s biggest democracy describes its tourism appeal. The republic is also a fascinating kaleidoscope of races, languages, religions, customs and festivals, making it an all-appealing, year-round tourist destination.
Location
The world’s seventh largest and second most populous country offers enormous diversity in topography, natural resources and climate. India is bounded by the Indian Ocean and border Pakistan, Nepal and China. The diversity and vibrancy of India includes Mountains, forests, deserts, national parks, coastal towns, monuments, heritage sites – name it.
Tourism
India’s vast geographical diversity provides a wealth of outdoor adventures. The major adventure tourism activities in India are trekking and skiing in Himalayas, river running in Gangas, water skiing in Goa, trout fishing in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, Heliskiing in Himachal Pradesh, wind surfing, scuba diving and yachting in Andamans & Lakshadweep islands.
India abounds in attractive and well-preserved historical sites and ancient monuments of architecture grandeur like Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is home to several architecturally and historically rich Hindu temples, churches and mosques.
India has several beaches, hill stations, wildlife sanctuaries, pilgrimage places, temples, forts and palaces – to choose from. It is also very well connected by road and air. Mega-scale village fairs, dance and religious festivals geared to attract tourists are on the year round.
Events
Due to the magnificent diversity and acceptance of all religions, cultures and beliefs in India gives way for a diverse event calendar. From the colorful Hindu cultural festivals such as Diwali (the festival of lights) and Holi (festival of colors) to the Eid and Christmas celebrations of the Muslims and Christmas there is no dearth of events in this region.
People
The Indian philosophy and way of life embraces all differences and divergences and advocates acceptance. India is multilingual and each state has its own local culture and flavor. The cities in India are cosmopolitan in outlook with shopping malls and multiplexes. The villages have retained an indigenous flavor of their own.
The common thread that binds India together is the hospitality and genuine caring showered towards guests. The people of India are very warm and hospitable. There is even a Sanskrit saying… “Athithi devo bhava,”…translated it means that a guest should be treated like God!
| General | |
| Language | English, Hindi, Urdu, Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepal, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu. |
| Time Zone | UTC+5.5 |
| Dialing Code | +91 |
| Electricity | 230V, 50Hz |
| Major Cities | Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Shimla, Varanasi |
| Currency | Indian Rupee (NIR) |
| Clothing | In Summers T-shirts and baggy pants. Whereas in Winters pack woolen clothes. When visiting places of worship you should be fully clothed. |
| Health Related | |
| Mortality Rate | Male: 47.7 deaths/1,000 live births; Female: 50.73/1,000 live births |
| Life Expectancy | 62/64 |
| Patient: Physician Ratio | 1700: 1 |
| Hospitals JCI accredited | 16 |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Rabies, Diphtheria-tetanus, Measles, Varicella, Yellow Fever and Japanese encephalitis |
| Other Infections | African trypanosomiasis, Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Vibrio parahemolyticus, Brucellosis, Anthrax, Typhus, Tick-borne relapsing fever, Lymphatic filariasis, West Nile virus, HIV |
| Tourism Related | |
| Population | 1,151,751,000 |
| Global Competitiveness | 4.33 |
| Tourism Competitiveness | 62/133; 4.1/7 |
| GDP/Capita | 2,460 |
| Health and Hygiene | 2.6/7 |
| Safety and Security | 3.9/7 |
| Air Transport Infrastructure | 4.2/7 |
| Tourism Infrastructure | 3.1/7 |
| Cultural Infrastructure | 4.7/7 |
| Visa Requirements | 127/133 |
| Reliability of Police Services | 62/133 |
| Physician Density | 95/133 |
| Hospital Beds | 118/133 |
| Quality of Air Transport Infrastructure | 66/133 |
| International Air Transport Network | 47/133 |
| Quality of Roads | 87/133 |
| Hotel Rooms | 123/133 |
| Tourism Openness | 122/133 |
| Attitude of Population Towards Foreign Visitors | 61/133 |