PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN AGRA CITY, INDIA

Abstract

One of the remarkable changes that have taken place in the recent years is the emergence of tourism as a major industry. It is an industry having tremendous economic and social potentiality. In some countries, tourism has become one of the most important parameter that decides the functions of the economic growth of the countries. Most of the developing countries, although having good heritage sites and tourist destinations with aesthetic sense, have not yet developed and never figured in the tourist maps due to the non-availability of tourism related infrastructure to utilize the same. As a result, the available tourism potentiality that could earn good amount of resource is wasted. India, a developing country, is also not an exception in this regard. Agra city in India is the only destination in the country having three World Heritage sites. Tourism thrives on the history of the place and Agra has a rich historical and cultural heritage. Apart from being enriched with splendid Mughal architecture in the three World Heritage sites and other historic monuments, the city is also blessed with the River Yamuna, one of the holy rivers and a beautiful lake, Keitham. Inspite of all this potential, there has not been any significant development in tourism at Agra. In the recent years, Agra has become notable for various crimes against foreign tourists. The transportation network connecting the various tourist spots in and around the city is very poor; the various infrastructure facilities available for the tourists are inadequate; the environment of the city is polluted and chaotic scenes are common everywhere in the city. Such factors and more are wooing the tourists away from the city in recent years, thereby establishing the need of planning for sustainable tourism development in Agra city.