Impact of tourism sector on economic development in Karnataka

Tourism today has become an important segment of India economy contributing substantially to sustainable development of the country. India has succeeded in becoming the most preferred place amongst domestic and overseas travellers. Tourism exposes international travellers to India's diverse culture. The tourism sector has been instrumental in generating foreign exchange, employment opportunities and household income for Indians, as it has in many other developing economies. Thus, the development of the tourism sector appears to have been as important as the development of other sectors of the Indian economy. The biggest advantage of the tourism industry is that it can generate maximum employment opportunity. Tourism helps in regional and economic development. Recent study shows that the globalisation and open economy helped tourism to emerge as one of the biggest forex earners for India. It brings the opportunity of infrastructure development. The overall development of any country depends especially on the improvement of road, vehicles, communication, water supply, airports and railway stations. Economic progress and industry development depend completely on the overall development of country. And tourism plays a major role in this overall infrastructural advancement. Tourism helps agriculture and other industries directly and indirectly. Tourism is therefore, a major engine of growth for Indian economy.