After having shone for a while, India is now set to become incredible. The Central tourism minister, Ms Renuka Chowdhury, is now full of ideas about her “Incredible India” campaign to bring tourists into the country. Rather than taking a culture-and-heritage approach like her predecessor, Mr Jagmohan, Ms Chowdhury prefers a more commercial approach. Tourism is a modern business, and instead of giving it all over to the private sector, the government can actually work with the former in order to jazz up its notions of India as an attractive holiday destination for foreigners, especially Europeans and Americans. One of Ms Chowdhury’s pet ideas is to build “night bazaars” in the major cities, which would remain open till the early hours of the morning. These would be like culture and conversation malls, with films, readings, shops and cafés all in one place where the spirit of conviviality would rule. This sounds excellent. But such urban spaces do not last long unless they are in tune with the existing ethos, architecture and infrastructure of the city. A safe, pollution-free and pedestrian-friendly city, with a good public transport system, civilized police and clean, efficient hospitals are basic requirements for an ambience of fun and relaxation. Good taste also helps. Development in modern Indian cities spawns a kind of unplanned and ostentatious ugliness that is, in fact, one of the truly incredible features of contemporary urban India.

The promotion of tourism does not have to be founded on extravagant and way-out ideas. Attention needs to be focussed on certain simple and basic things. It is reassuring to see that care for the environment and for the ecology of the locals figure in Ms Chowdhury’s scheme of things. Indifference to the ethics and the aesthetics of tourism cannot be made up for by promising more jobs to the locals. People living happily, securely and healthily in their own environment can sometimes be more relaxing than shops and museums.