Indian Tourism: A Victim of Mismanagement

Few nations have such a diversity of cultural and geographical attractions as India. This year, India's government sought to capitalize on its tourist attractions by declaring 1991 “Visit India Year.” The government has recognized tourism as an industry and enacted policies to encourage international companies to operate in India. That promising initiative has foundered, however, on shoals created by political instability, civil strife, weaknesses in the infrastructure, and contradictory administrative policies. Particularly damaging is a June 1991 travel advisory issued by the United States State Department that warns American travelers away from such areas as Kashmir and Punjab.