“Man by nature is a wanderer and this wandering seeks to lead into wonders of deep seas, lofty mountains, humming rivers, dense forests, wild life, religious and historical monuments. This exploration means tourism."

Tourism from the earliest time has held a fascination for mankind. The urge to explore new places and seek a change of environment and experiences is not new. Rapid development in the means of transport and communication has made the whole world practically one neighborhood and has made tourism an easy affair. Many people less than a century ago considered a few hundred miles a key long and tiring journey. Today millions seem to enjoy the prospect of moving from one continent to another in a matter of hours Prosperity. Leisure, coupled with the quest for pleasure and recreation are the principle motivating factors, which sustain the development of mass movement of people. This has in turn given rise to annual movement of a large number of people from one country to another. Actually the idea of touring to different places was originated thousands of years ago when travelers like Fa-hein. Hiuen T.sang, Marco Polo, Maffeo Polo, Nicolo Polo, Colum­bus, David Livingstone and Vasco-Da-Gama. Traveled to far off countries but their purpose of it was then either religious, historical or geographically exploring the new places. In the modern age of today the tourists have many purposes like ex­ploring new places, knowing varied animal life, discovering the hidden facts of nature, admiring the beauty of nature and obtaining spiritual satisfaction and pleasure after the busy life of the present world. These all reasons are equal values and impor­tance. 

The inquisitiveness of being recognized is also behind the eagerness of tour­ists. Apart from above mentioned reasons sometimes the tourists arrange their tours from being the most highly and socially recognized person.

The northern India is really a wonderful gift of nature to our country. The great Himalayas, northern rivers, vegetation, unique climate, attractive scenic beauty have attracted even the common people of today's world. They are tempted to visit these places with friends and family.

Tourism is also being recognized as a source of employment. It is a highly labour-intensive industry offering employment to both semi-skilled and the unskilled. Being a service industry, it created employment opportunities for the local popula­tion. It is a major source of income and employment for individuals in many places deficient in natural resources which cannot readily contribute to the economic pros­perity of the area except through the medium of tourism. This aspect of provision of employment becomes more important in a developing country where the level of unemployment and under employment tends to be high. Besides, providing em­ployment to a large number of people, tourism can be an instrument of regional policy aimed at achieving an equitable balance between major industrial areas and the rest of the country. Tourism enables the wealth earned in one part of the country to be transferred in part to another.

Tourism today is a global industry. Developments in travel indicate that more people travel further and more frequently than ever before. Being characterized by flexibility, perishibility and relatively large financial investment, this distinguishes it from other services.

India is vast and diverse country. It has something to offer to everyone, thus making tourism a

lucrative industry. The potential of this industry came to be real­ized and thoroughly exploited in 1960's. Prior to independence Sargent Committee was set up to survey the potentialities of developing tourist traffic in India, within a short period there was a manifold increase in the field.

On 1st March 1958, under the ministry of Transport a separate department was created to deal with matters related with tourism.

Tourism thus is a highly complex phenomenon. It is an important human ac­tivity of great significance. It is an urge to keep wandering, to strive, to seek and not to yield.

Douglas Faster opines “Tourism is an activity involving a complex mixture of material and psychological elements. The materials one is accommodation attractions and Entertainment available the psychological factors include a wide spectrum of attitude and expectation”.

The ministry of Tourism in its document, National Ministry on Tourism (Preface) Created for 1the Government of India, States, “ Tourism is Composite Industry. It consists of various Segments, which can provide a wide range of products and services”.

Travel Involves physical transportation of people. Tourism on the country, involves mental transportation of people tourism gives a new lease of life to the spirit of adventure of person. If takes him to new environments and places. The unique features of these new environments stimulate the mind of the person.

He, in turn, starts looking at life form a new angle and that is become he had visited new (and unknown) tourist destinations same tourist spots make long lasting

impression on the mind of the person who travels to these sports. True, some of other does not impress him but the totality of expenses is able to create a unique effect in the mind of tourist. This unique effect could last the lifetime of that tourist! Some people live only to cherish the memories of travel to foreign lands and their experience during their tours. Thus, tourism is great motivator and an ideal Educator. It has been said that travel makes a man Wiser and experienced. Tourism, on the other hand, makes him relaxed, Spiritual and full of salvation of a unique kind.

In this type of tourist activity, people travel outside their normal domiciles to some other areas within their country. They however do not leave their country at any point of travel while they tour these (unknown or known) areas. They do come back after their stints to as tourists in the same country they may go out several times in a year to new places.

Example:-

The youth of a college may make a programme to visit Manali on motorcycles and they could come from as Kozhikode! The next year, they may travel to Dalhousie or shimla, depending up on their Preferences. But they would not be allowed to leave the country even through they may be allowed to see the borders. They do not need to have passports while they travel.

The basic difference between foreign tourism and domestic tourism is therefore, the Jurisdiction of travel. The domestic tourists of a country do not have to complete these formalities that must be completed by foreign tourist. Thus, the domestic tourists of a country do not take pains to:-

1. Get foreign exchange
2. Arrange their passport
3. Get their passports stamped for getting visas,
4. Arrange health documents or certificates
5. Get inoculation against specific diseases and
6. Learn languages of the area that they wish to explore.

A domestic tourist uses his own languages as a medium of communication. He can use English or the national language of his country if he knows the languages of his region. In India, for example English is understood by most of the people if it is not understood by some people, the domestic tourist user Hindi. If that is not understood either, he uses a combination of words of the local languages of that tourist spots and Hindi or English to communicate what he needs if any case, he makes himself understood to others, despite the diversities of languages.

International Tourism

When a tourist crosses the boundaries of the nation of his residence/ citizenship, he is called foreign Tourist. International tourism and foreign tourism are being taken as synonymous phrases. All the activities related to the movement, Stay, Leisure, excursion business and health of foreign tourist fall under the gamut of the term international Tourism several organizations like the IUOTO, PATA, WTO, IOTO etc have defined certain norms and rules for conducting activities related to international tourism. Nations become the members of such organization and follow their norms or

codes of conduct. Over a period of time, a set of rules has evolved for conducting international tourism operations. All such rules land operations governed by such rules fall under the gamut of international tourism.

If a nation wishes to earn more foreign exchange and give a fill up to her business and economic growth rates, she had better concentrate on international tourism. This activity not only helps the nations in question earn valuable international (hard) currencies, but also it helps her build on image of human-friendly, politically and liberal nation of the global forum (like the UNO).