Hospitality, tourism and economic growth in India

Purpose - The objective of this paper is to provide a backdrop to the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) theme issue on developments in hospitality and tourism in India and its contribution to economic growth. Design/methodology/approach - The paper narrates the growth potential of tourism in India and provides a perspective on the conduct of a roundtable discussion about economic growth. Findings - The paper discusses the potential that tourism holds for India and its economic growth. It also captures the essence of the roundtable which was conducted in 2008 to capture practitioners perspectives. Originality/value - This paper relates the growth of hospitality and tourism in India to the country's overall economic growth. The paper provides academic and practitioner perspectives on some key issues.