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India: 'entering a golden era of tourism'

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Tourism in India has been given a big boost in the last few years thanks to concerted government-backed efforts to promote the country to overseas holidaymakers. The 'Incredible India' campaign, run by the Ministry of Tourism, has received strong financial support in its effort to popularise Indian vacations and its website recently won a coveted e-Governance gold award for best government website.

This week, Indian tourism and culture minister Ambika Soni told the Indian parliament that the government had spent just over £8 million in the last fiscal year, with the aim of promoting the country to both domestic and foreign feeds. Around 80 per cent of the money has been spent on advertising to the foreign market. She said: "The government is putting greater emphasis on development of infrastructure at important tourist destinations and to promote and publicise various tourism products of India within the country and abroad."

Ms Soni told Indian officials that foreign tourist numbers have increased 45 per cent in the past two years. According to a Reuters report on Friday, India's Andaman islands have seen tourist numbers jump from 32,000 in 2005 to over 100,000 last year. Apparently, the drastic increase has seen island authorities have to re-dig wells not used since World War II in order to obtain enough water to service demand.

Ashwini Kakkar, vice-chairman of Mercury Travels and chairman of flight Raja, was recently interviewed by travel website Express TravelWorld. He said that India is currently experiencing "the beginning of a golden era in tourism, aviation and hospitality". The country holds many attractions for visitors. Its size means there are extremes of climate available at each end of the nation; ski trips in the northern contrast with wild parties on the beaches of the south.

Given the strength of the pound against the Indian rupee, British buy-to-let investors can expect to get a lot of property for their money – sometimes several for an amount that would not cover the cost of one property at home. An added bonus is that English is the second language of India, used by all government bodies. This is because it serves as a common language in a country that has over 800 different dialects. The Indian legal system is also largely based on the English one, a hangover from the days of the British Empire.

With the exotic landscape and different cultures combining with a strong British influence, the buy-to-let investor who picks India may unwittingly have found himself in a home away from home.

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