Over the last few decades, tourism has evolved into a full-fledged industry. In many countries, tourism is the major driver of economic growth. It is considered to be one of the significant sectors of the economy for attracting investment and generating employment. Hence, reasons, efforts are being made by the governments, tourism boards and other stakeholders to promote tourism with the adoption of innovative strategies. This article highlights the issues and challenges faced by the tourism sector. It discusses the emerging trends in tourism marketing and focuses on some of the initiatives taken by India and Thailand to promote tourism.

During recent decades, tourism has grown into a whole some and full-blown industry. The role played by the tourism industry in economic growth has assumed significant importance, especially in the post-globalization era. Countries across the world consider tourism to be one of the significant sectors of the economy for attracting investment as well as generating employment. Today, it is viewed as a complex socioeconomic phenomenon as it impacts the economy, society and the environment. In recent years, tourism has recorded sustained growth. According to World Tourism Organization, the year 2007 witnessed 903 million international tourist arrivals, an increase of 6.6% over the previous year. Further, international tourist arrivals grew 3.7% between January and August 2008, compared to the same period in the previous year. The growth in tourism has also led to the expansion of a number of complementary services such as travel, hospitality, retailing and entertainment.

The tourism industry also faces many challenges. It has witnessed a shift from long visits to short visits by tourists owing to reduction in leisure time. Also, it is being periodically affected by terrorism and natural disasters. Technological advancements and changing customer expectations are also posing challenges. At the same time, creating opportunities for the industry. It is, therefore, crucial to continuously evolve and develop effective product promotion and marketing strategies to keep the tourism industry growing on a sustainable basis. The major issues and challenges faced by this industry are discussed below.

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