AFFECTS OF TERRORISM ON TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE HIMALAYAN REGION

Abstract

Tourism is one of the main industry for various Indian states located in the Himalayan region, it has created
employment opportunity and made the states of this region economically self sufficient, by generating revenue and foreign
currency to promote infrastructural development. Tourism activities have a positive effect on the destination because it
generates jobs directly through hotels, restaurants, souvenir and handicraft sales. Indirectly, jobs are generated through
supply of goods and services required for tourism activities. The Indian states located in the Himalayan region are
underdeveloped and have no other source of generating income; tourism has become an important source of revenue
generation and a component for economic and infrastructural development for these states. The Indian Himalayan region
stretches over 2,500 km from Jammu and Kashmir in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. This great chain of
mountains in Indian territory extends all along the northern border of the country from the eastern border of the Pakistan on
the west to the frontiers of Myanmar in the east covering partially/fully twelve states of India, viz., Jammu and Kashmir,
Himanchal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya and hills
of Assam and West Bengal (Fig. 1). All these states have angelic mix of rejuvenating gardens displaying colorful flowers,
charming lakes, thick forests teeming with wildlife, inviting rivers and rich cultural heritage which makes the states lying in
the Indian Himalayan region one of the favourite tourist destinations, various tourism policies have been formulated by state
as well as central government to promote these destinations, promotional campaigns like, “Incredible India” has promoted
all these states not only at national level but also internationally. The affect of these promotional campaigns is positive as
there is increase in arrival of tourist to these destinations, but for tourism to flourish you need a peaceful environment and
out of these twelve states seven states are affected by one or another form of terrorist activities so the positive affect of these
promotional campaigns on tourist’ s mind turns into a negative affect when a destination promoted by these campaigns come
under terrorist attack