Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. It earns more than 3.5 trillion dollars world wide generated by 500 million international tourists. In India, tourism is the third largest foreign exchange earning industry after the gem and garment industries. Last year 2.1 million tourists visited the country. A whopping 4.1 million Indian tourists visited countries abroad last year, which goes to prove that there is a bigger outbound market.

To cater to the need of both domestic and outbound market, an exhibition is organized every year to bring travel agents, tour operators, hotels, resorts and tourism promotion boards under one roof. This gives travellers a one-stop opportunity to acquaint themselves with various aspects. IITM or the India International Travel Mart was organized recently in the city's Kanteerava Indoor Stadium to focus on the tourism and hospitality industry in the 'Explore India Millennium Year'. The event attracted nearly 125 participants from both India and abroad. Some participants were tourism promotion boards from Karnataka, Pondicherry, Kashmir, Nepal, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Orissa, Gujarat, Goa, Overseas tour operators from Nepal, Kenya, Dubai, Australia, Britain, travel websites like travelanza, indiaihot, 73coffees and others.
Some facts that emerged in the interaction with the exhibitors:

• Indians spent around 140 million pounds on shopping and travelling in Britain last year.
  
• The average amount spent by an Indian traveller on a leisure travel abroad is $ 2000, and this despite
      the weakening of the rupee value.
  
•  Most Indian travellers are honeymooners and their most favoured destinations are Switzerland,     Australia, Mauritius, Maldives and the Far East.(No wonder the Swiss Alps seem to be the     backdrop for most Hindi movies!).
  
• Bangalore has been among the top five generators of tourists in the country, thanks to the high tech     industry and the highly paid workforce.
  
•  While the country received 2.1 million tourists last year, the outbound number was almost double at     4.1 million. Kashmir still attracts a large number of Indian tourists to Vaishnodevi, Gulmarg,     Amarnath and Ladakh.
  
• Now Post Graduate courses on Tourism Management are available in our city at the Christ College.
  
  Read more about the Management course at Christ College.
  
  The information dessemination on tourism has gone hi-tech with a number of websites offering services and info kiosks being installed at strategic points. These kiosks give information on a computer which has a touch screen mode interaction. At present in Bangalore, we can see these kiosks at the airport and the tourism board booth in the city railway station. The entry of hi tech gadgetry will boost Indian tourism industry and make 'Explore India Millenium Year' a success.

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