POLITICS, TOURISM AND REGIONAL COOPERATION IN SOUTH ASIA
Keywords:
South Asia, Regionalism, Saarc, Tourism, Growth, Conflicts, IndiaAbstract
The paper analyzes the impact of political problems and overall regional political environment on the process of regional cooperation in the field of tourism in South Asia. It explores the problems and prospects of tourism expansion in South Asia, mainly in the regional cooperation perspective being carried out under South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). It highlights the potential benefits of diverse nature that can accrue to South Asian Countries (SACs) through growth of international and regional tourism. It also identifies several kinds of tourism that present immense potential for regional cooperation, including adventure tourism, religious tourism, social tourism, cultural tourism, sports tourism, eco- tourism and leisure tourism. The paper surveys the SAARC actions, policies, and activities aimed at promoting tourism in the region and it analyzes their effectiveness. It also examines the present situation of tourism in South Asia and investigates into the factors and forces that impede its growth. Finally, the paper analyzes how the impediments to growth of regional tourism are linked to bilateral ties of SACs and the overall political environment in South Asia.
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