India, Dec. 18 -- India's monuments, mountains, beaches, and cuisine make it one of the world's richest travel destinations. Yet, its tourism performance lags behind many other countries. We attract just about 10 million foreign tourists a year, a number Thailand surpasses in three months. The gap lies not in appeal, but in competitiveness.

Compare like-for-like destinations: A four-star beach hotel in Goa averages Rs.12,000- Rs.15,000 per night, while a similar property in Phuket or Da Nang costs half. Even Sri Lanka, despite instability, offers better value and satisfaction. India's coastline is thrice that of Thailand in terms of length and its national park area is twice that of Kenya. Yet, it has far fewer tourist destinations or pr...