Delhi tops 'tourist-friendly' list, Maharashtra falls a spot
What's the story
After a smog-filled week, there's some good news for Delhi. A survey by the World Travel and Tourism Council India Initiative (WTTCII) and Hotelivate has ranked the capital first among all states in the field of tourism. Delhi topped in five among 11 parameters, sending Maharashtra and Goa to the second spot. Ironically, Delhi is notorious for its high crime rate and severe pollution.
Delhi
The factors that brought the trophy to the capital
survey Delhi aced in tourist arrivals, per capita gross state domestic product, presence of branded hotels etc, but performed poorly in ease of doing business, tourism expenditure and effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Unsurprisingly, it did dismally on intangible aspects like safety perception, lack of human resources in travel industry and political instability, which have reportedly affected tourism. Still, it won the Destination Leader Award.
Others
How did the rest of the states do?
Maharashtra meanwhile has slipped from the first to the second spot. Though it has a strong economy, branded hotels and good infrastructure, it topped only in 'intangible aspects'. The northeastern states performed poorly, held back by their inaccessibility via air or rail. After Delhi, Maharashtra and Goa, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh made up the top 10.
GST
How has GST affected tourism?
The survey notes GST has negatively impacted tourism in many regions as customers now have to pay more for services. Luxury tax now makes for "0-20% additional tax over and above other taxes levied". Resultantly, the effective tax rate had increased. The effect was noticeable in states like Arunachal, J&K, Manipur, Odisha, Nagaland, Mizoram and Sikkim, where there was no luxury tax earlier.