Journal of Research in Hospitality, Tourism and Culture Vol. 3(1) pp. 011-013, March, 2016 DOI: http:/dx.doi.org/10.14303/jrhtc.2016.011 Available online @http://www.interesjournals.org/JRHTC Copyright ©2016 International Research Journals Review Incredible India Dr. M Lakshmi Prabha Assistant Professor (SG), Department of Biotechnology Karunya University, Coimbatore-641 114, Tamilnadu Corresponding author: lakshmi.prabha48@gmail.com Abstract Incredible India is the name of an International marketing campaign by the Government of India to promote tourism in India in 2002 to a global audience. The campaign projected India as an attractive tourist destination by showcasing different aspects of Indian culture and history like yoga, spirituality, etc. The campaign was conducted globally and received appreciation from tourism industry observers and travelers alike. India has emerged as the fastest growing market in the Asia-Pacific in terms of International tourist spending. In 2011 Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi were the most popular states for foreign tourists. Domestic tourists visited the states like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu most frequently. Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Agra have been the four most visited cities of India by foreign tourists during the year 2011. Worldwide, Chennai is ranked 41 by the number of foreign tourists, while Delhi is ranked at 50, Mumbai at 57 and Agra at 65. India's rich history and its cultural and geographical diversity make its International tourism appeal large and diverse. It presents heritage and cultural tourism along with medical, business, educational and sports tourism (Smith, 2007). Keywords: Incredible India, India, Heritage, Tourism Tourism in Andhra Pradesh The state of Andhra Pradesh comprises like scenic hills, forests, beaches and temples. Also known as The City of Nizams and The City of Pearls, Hyderabad is today one of the most developed cities in the country. The Birla Mandir, is a Hindu temple of Lord Venkateshwara, built entirely of white marble located in Hyderabad. The Ramappa Temple and Thousand Pillar Temple in Warangal are the famous tourist spots and depict the finest taste of Kakatiya dynasty for arts, culture and temple carvings. Warangal is also known home to Medaram – the Asia's largest tribal fair/festival called "Sammakka Saralamma Jatara". Tirupati, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, is the second richest and most visited religious centre in the world. Srisailam, the abode of Sri Mallikarjuna, is one of the twelve Jyothirlingalu in India. Amaravathi's Siva temple is one of the Pancharamams, Vemulavada temple, one of the old abodes of Lord Shiva, reputed as Dakshina Kashi – Benaras of South India. Vemulavada temple is built by Chalukya Kings between AD 750 and 975 AD. Yadagirigutta, the abode of an avatara of Vishnu, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha. Lepakshi-This is the largest monolithic Nandi (Bull) in the world, (length 27 feet, height 15 feet), It is 15 km east of Hindupur, 105 km from Anantapur, and about 120 km north of Bangalore. Golkonda Fort – Largest and 400 years oldest fort. Araku Valley – known as Andhra Ooty near to Vizag City. Borra Caves – caves formed 1 million years ago situated near to Vizag City. Surendrapuri – A unique Mythological Awareness Centre near Yadagirigutta, 60 km from Hyderabad. Thimmamma Marrimanu - The World's Largest Banyan Tree, and "Marrimanu" was recorded as the biggest tree in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1989. Its branches spreads over nearly 5 acres located about 35 km from Kadiri, and 100 km from Anantapur. Tourism in Assam Assam is the central state in the North-East Region of India and serves as the gateway to the rest of the Seven Sister States. Assam boasts of famous wildlife preserves the Kaziranga National Park, which is the home to 012 J. Res. Hosp. Tourism Cult. the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros, the Manas National Park, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Nameri National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (These first two parks are UNESCO World Heritage Site); the largest river island Majuli in Assam declared by UNESCO as a world natural heritage, this river island has preserved well the antique utensils, and other items of cultural significance of the hundreds of year old Assamese civilization. Tourism in Bihar Bihar is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world with history of 3000 years. The rich culture and heritage of Bihar is evident from the innumerable ancient monuments that are dotted all over this state in eastern India. This is the place of Aryabhata, Great Ashoka, Chanakya and many other great historical figures. Tourism in Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh is called the "Heart of India" because of its location in the centre of the country. It has been home to the cultural heritage of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. Innumerable monuments, carved temples, Stupas, forts and palaces are dotted all over the state. The temples of Khajuraho are world-famous for their erotic sculptures, and are UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gwalior is famous for its fort, Jai Vilas Palace, the Tomb of Rani Lakshmibai, Madhya Pradesh is also known as Tiger State because of the tiger population (Evans, 2005). Tourism in Manipur Manipur as the name suggest is a land of jewels. Its rich culture excels in every aspect as in martial arts, dance, theatre and sculpture. The charm of the place is the greenery with the moderate climate making it a tourist’s heaven. The beautiful and seasonal Shirui Lily at Ukhrul (district), Sangai (brow antlered deer) and the floating islands at Loktak Lake are few of the rare things found in Manipur. Polo, which can be called a royal game, also originated from Manipur. Tourism in Orissa Odisha is famous for the world famous Jagannath Temple (Puri), UNESCO World Heritage Site Konark Sun Temple and The Leaning Temple of Huma. Tourism in Rajasthan Rajasthan, literally meaning "Land of the Kings", is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Northern India. The vast sand dunes of the Thar Desert attract millions of tourists from around the globe every year. Udaipur also known as the City of Lakes, it is also known for its Rajputera palaces. The Lake Palace, covers an entire island in the Pichola Lake. It is often called the "Venice of the East", and is also nicknamed as the "Lake City". Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake, Udai Sagar and Swaroop Sagar in this city are considered as some of the most beautiful lakes in the state. Monsoon Palace also known as Sajjan Garh Palace. The summer resort of the Maharajas is atop the hill overlooking all of the lakes. This palace had a way to collect rain water for consumption all year around. Right from Himalayas situated in the north to the Indian Ocean way down the south, India has an abundant number of spots that haven’t still been explored .The country is widely known and popular for its scenic beauty; rich culture and the perfect unify mixture of flora and fauna. There are numerous eye-catching places situated here that would leave awe struck with unforgettable experiences. Let’s have a glance of some of the greatest unexplored destinations. 1. Bhimbetka Rock Shelters – these are an archaeological site of the Paleolithic, exhibiting the earliest traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent, and thus the beginning of the South Asian Stone Age. It is located in the Raisen District in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The Bhimbetka shelters exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India. Some of the Stone Age rock paintings found among the Bhimbetka rock shelters are approximately 30,000 years old. The caves also deliver early evidence of dance. They were declared a World Heritage Site in 2003. 2. Sandakfu or Sandakphu is the trekker’s paradise. It is the highest peak in the state of West Bengal, India. The Sandakphu is the concluding point of many trekking routes in the Darjeeling-Sikkim expanse. The peaks of Kanchenjunga and Everest can be seen from its pinnacle. Sandakphu looks splendid and magnificent with the beauty of magnolias, rhododendrons, primulas and other sub-alpine plant life. It also contains more than 600 kinds of orchids. 3. The Malvan region is one the opening and prime places for a holiday to ooze in history or to soak up the sun. Sindhudurg fort rises on a rocky island, known as Kurte that is situated hardly at a km, from the Malavan which is 510kms south of Mumbai . Apart from the Fort, one can unwind on the beaches of Tarkarli and another beach in the Malwan region. These beaches are quite clean and are often quite less crowded. 4. Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian National park, located in West Himalaya, in the state of Uttarakhand and is known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and the variety of flora. Birds found include Himalayan Monal Pheasant and other high altitude birds. Together they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Prabha 013 Great Himalaya. The park stretches over an expanse of 87.50 km² and it is about 8 k.m. long and 2 k.m. wide. This Reserve is in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2004 (Amin, 2007). 1. Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves - In the Indian state of Odisha the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves are the earliest group of Jain rock-cut shelters. These caves are of high importance preserving history, rock-cut architecture, art and religion. The wall carvings and rockcut painting in these caves tell us much about the origin and development of Jainism (Alvarez, 2010). 2. Pangong Tso - Located in a high altitude in the Himalayan Ranges, the salty water of Kumarakom lake is 3. bluer and clearer. Pangong Tso is one of the best less hindered tourist destinations in the country. REFERENCES Amin A (2007). Cultural-economy and cities, Progress in Human Geography. 31( 2), 143-61. Evans G (2005). Measure for measure: evaluating the evidence of culture’s contribution to regeneration, Urban Studies, 42, (5), 1-25. Maria DA (2010). Creative cities and cultural spaces: new perspectives for city tourism, International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 4 (3) 171 – 175. Smith MK (2007).Towards a cultural planning approach to regeneration, Tourism, Culture and Regeneration, CAB International, Wallingford, pp. 1-11.