Abstract

This case study discusses the innovative Atithi Devo Bhavah (ADB) program initiated by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) in India. This program was launched in 2005 with the objective of developing tourism in India as part of MoT’s ‘Incredible India!’ campaign. Though the ‘Incredible India!’ campaign was successful in increasing the number of tourists, the experience of tourists in India left much to be desired due to the inconvenience caused by various touts, guides, and tour operators. The ADB program was targeted at various stakeholders such as taxi drivers, tourist guides, small tourist operators, and the general public. It aimed to change their attitude and behavior toward foreign tourists by stressing on the aspect that a guest has been held in high esteem in India since ancient times. This case study discusses the key components of the ADB program and the steps taken by the MoT to roll out the ADB program. The case study also covers the mass media social awareness campaigns that were initiated by the MoT as part of the ADB program.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• This case will help the learner to: Understand the issues and constraints faced by a public sector organization/governmental organization in planning and implementing an innovative program
• Understand the issues in Tourism (destination) development and marketing and how the Indian Tourism ministry addressed these issues
• Understand the issues in social marketing and how the Indian Tourism ministry formulated and implemented an innovative social awareness program
• Understand the challenges faced by a public sector organization/governmental organization in sustaining an innovative program
• and This case is intended for use in Master in Public Sector Management (MPSM) level programs as part of the Public Sector Innovation course. This case can also be effectively used as part of the Services Marketing, Tourism Marketing and Social Marketing

Keywords

Social Awareness Program, Atithi Devo Bhavah, Ministry of Tourism, Incredible India Campaign, Tourism Marketing, Training , Tourism Development, Public Sector Innovation, Mass Media Campaigns, Marketing Communications, 360-degree Program, Stakeholder Management, Policy Planning , France, Singapore