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<ul><li><keyword id="65866" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IRCTC">IRCTC</keyword> to launch special train to attract international tourists from Buddhist countries like Japan, China, Thailand and Sri Lanka. </li><li>The first rake of the train will roll out by the end of October although the train will be functional from December. </li><li>The train’s route will include important Buddhist destinations like Bodh Gaya, Budh Vihar, Sarnath and Kushi Nagar. </li></ul><keyword id="6355455" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-railways">Indian Railways</keyword> are leaving no effort to attract foreign travellers. After launching the Ask Disha app for domestic and foreign travellers, Indian Railways are now targeting tourists from Japan, China, Thailand and Sri Lanka by launching a special train on the <keyword id="6394118" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="buddhist-circuit">Buddhist Circuit</keyword>. The important Buddhist destinations to be connected are Bodh Gaya, Budh Vihar, Sarnath and Kushi Nagar. The ticket fare of the route is yet to be decided. As per media <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/infrastructure/railways/wonderful-indian-railways-to-launch-special-train-with-world-class-facilities-on-buddhist-circuit/1352656/">reports,</a> the special express train will be managed by Indian Railways Catering and Tourists Corporation (IRCTC). The first route of the train is expected to be decided and kicked off by the of the year. Although, IRCTC will roll out its first rake by the end of October. Presently, the rail coaches are being manufactured in the Rail Coach Factory located at Kapurthala. The second train designed specially for international tourists, inspired by the Maharaja Express, will have 12 coaches. The first rake of the train will constitute four AC first class coaches followed by two second class coaches and one AC 3-tier coach designed specifically for staff. The first rake will also include two power car coaches, a pantry and two coaches for the dining car facility. The train will have a very fancy outer body and top notch facilities for the travellers. Some of the facilities includes digital lockers, venetian windows, decorative lighting, touch-free taps, bio toilets with vacuum evacuation, soap dispensers, CCTV camera, anti graffiti coaching and tea/coffee vending machines.

Indian Railways is all set to introduce a special train for Buddhist travellers across globe

The <keyword id="6360676" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Railways">Railways</keyword> is leaving no stones unturned to promote tourism, according to news agency PTI. The policy, a first-of-its-kind exercise by the Railways, aims at hassle-free and seamless movement of people across different tourist places. Seeking suggestions from stakeholders, the public and other bodies concerned, the public transporter has circulated a draft tourism policy. "Tourism will be one of the frontline activities with the railways and the scope will be increased by focusing on domestic and international tourists and by making value- addition to tourism products, especially designed for this segment," the draft says. Since tourist trains have special fares, the Railways can position itself to generate substantial revenue focusing on international and domestic tourists by launching more such services. The infrastructure on railways can be leveraged for launching a diverse range of products and services to ensure bright business prospects with adequate profitability. The aim is to operate more trains connecting tourist destinations and also by providing special train services ranging from luxury to budget sections, a <keyword id="54441" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Railway-ministry">Railway Ministry</keyword> official involved with tourism and catering said. Currently, many tourist spots have limited connectivity. The Railways will offer Luxury Tourist Trains, Semi- Luxury Tourist Trains, Buddhist Special Train, Bharat Darshan Trains and <keyword id="4421920" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="astha-circuit-trains">Astha Circuit Trains</keyword>, to attract domestic and international tourists. It will also offer State Tirth Trains, Flexi-package Tourist Trains, Ordinary Tourist Trains, Hill Tourist Trains, Steam Tourist Trains, Value-added Tour package and a Foreign Tourist Quota. IRCTC, the tourism arm of the Railways, will position itself as a onestop shop for all the requirements of both domestic and international tourists.

Railways plan to promote tourism in luxury and budget sections

To give greater emphasis on tourism in the upcoming budget, industry body <keyword id="6355988" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Assocham">ASSOCHAM</keyword> has recommended the government to reduce tax burden on the industry. The chamber also suggested that the government should work towards setting up tourism circuits around different themes, in order to attract larger number of foreign tourists in the country in its <keyword id="2549811" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Budget-2015">Budget 2015</keyword>. 
	 “Launch projects to create 50 tourist circuits around themes of Heritage, Culture, Himalayas, Desert, North East Region, Coastal, Sports and Films. Create a Hindu Circuit akin to Buddhist Circuit; explore synergy with North East, SAARC and South East Asian countries which have a strong ‘India’ connect,” said <keyword id="547365" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="DS-Rawat">DS Rawat</keyword>, general secretary of ASSOCHAM. 
	 Commenting on the issue of multiple taxes, <keyword id="356114" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Subhash-Goyal">Subhash Goyal</keyword>, chairman of STIC Travel Group and President of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), stated that the industry expected relief once the Goods &amp; Services Tax (GST) is implemented. 
	 
	“The problem is that tourism is not treated at par with other export-based sectors. While sectors that export goods are exempted from service tax, the tourism industry, which is a part of service sector, is made to pay the service tax. We want the government to treat us as other foreign currency earner,” stated Goyal. 
	 
	He further added the government must focus on reducing the taxes on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) as it has made airfare in India expensive, which has adversely impacted the sector. 
	 
	According to Goyal, since the tax paid on ATF varies in different states, hence, the implementation of GST becomes although more imperative. “The government should restrict the tax levied on ATF to a maximum of 5% as anything more than that can make air travel in India expensive, thus benefitting other Southeast Asian destination such as Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, which are more cost-competitive,” noted Goyal. 
	 
	Addressing the issue of shortage of room inventory in the major tourist destinations, the chamber stated that the government should focus on finding ways to increase the number of budget hotels for more room inventory. 
	 
	“The government should accord ‘Infrastructure’ status for hotel projects with minimum 50-100 rooms (from current cost-based criteria of Rs 200 crore) and reduce availability constraints by expanding mid-segment hotels of 2-3 star categories,” added Rawat.

Govt Must Set Up Tourism Circuits To Attract Foreign Tourists

<keyword id="1600077" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Road-trips" source="Orion">Road trips</keyword> offer the perfect opportunity to explore the country's rich culture, breathtaking scenery, and vibrant communities. Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a history buff, or simply seeking adventure, India has a road trip to suit every traveller's taste. Let's dive into the top 10 road trips you must experience in 2024! <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Leh-Ladakh Circuit: See stunning mountains and cool monasteries" comment="subhead" text="Leh-Ladakh Circuit: See stunning mountains and cool monasteries"><keyword id="901142" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Leh-ladakh" source="Orion">Leh-Ladakh</keyword> Circuit: See stunning mountains and cool monasteries</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="1" msid="109620397" hostid="261" sizebytes="1711766" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Towards Leh&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>One of the most popular road trip routes in India. Experience the peace and adventures of the Himalayas together on the Leh-Ladakh circuit! Drive through towering mountains, pass by turquoise lakes like Pangong Tso, and witness the unique culture of Ladakh. Don't miss out on exploring ancient monasteries perched on rugged cliffs, like Thiksey and Hemis. Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime as you navigate through winding roads and high-altitude passes, discovering the raw beauty of this remote region. Distance: Varies depending on starting point, but typically around 2,000-2,500 kilometres round trip from Delhi. Places to Visit: Leh, Pangong Lake, Nubra Valley, Magnetic Hill, Diskit Monastery, Thiksey Monastery, Hemis Monastery. Preferred vehicle for trip: SUVs or motorcycles with good ground clearance and reliability due to rough terrain and high altitude. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Manali to Spiti Valley: Check out snowy peaks and ancient monasteries" comment="subhead" text="Manali to Spiti Valley: Check out snowy peaks and ancient monasteries">Manali to Spiti Valley: Check out snowy peaks and ancient monasteries</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="2" msid="109620412" hostid="261" sizebytes="1828904" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Manali to Spiti Valley&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>Picture yourself driving through rough terrain, crossing tall mountain passes, and being amazed by the untouched beauty of Spiti. While you're there, make sure to stop by ancient Buddhist monasteries like Key and Tabo. Keep your eyes peeled for rare animals like snow leopards and Himalayan ibex. You'll be blown away by the breathtaking views and fascinating history of this Himalayan area. Distance: Approximately 400 kilometres round trip from Manali to Kaza. Places to Visit: Rohtang Pass, Kunzum Pass, Key Monastery, Tabo Monastery, Dhankar Monastery, Chandratal Lake. Preferred vehicle for trip: SUVs or motorcycles capable of handling mountainous terrain and narrow roads. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Mumbai to Goa Coastal Route: Enjoy beaches, forts, and yummy seafood" comment="subhead" text="Mumbai to Goa Coastal Route: Enjoy beaches, forts, and yummy seafood"><keyword id="4009145" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mumbai-to-Goa" source="Orion">Mumbai to Goa</keyword> Coastal Route: Enjoy beaches, forts, and yummy seafood</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="3" msid="109620427" hostid="261" sizebytes="1205042" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Mumbai to Goa&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>If you're up for a fun road trip straight out of a movie, head from Mumbai to Goa! You'll be in for a treat with all the sun, sand, and sea along the way. Drive along the beautiful Konkan coast, passing by fishing villages and stunning beaches. Treat yourself to delicious seafood and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of Goa, where you'll make unforgettable memories. Distance: Around 600-700 kilometers depending on the route taken. Places to Visit: Alibaug, Ratnagiri, Ganpatipule, Malvan, Palolem Beach, Dudhsagar Falls. Preferred vehicle for trip: Sedans, SUVs, or motorcycles suitable for highway driving and occasional off-road detours. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur): Visit famous landmarks and shop in bustling markets" comment="subhead" text="Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur): Visit famous landmarks and shop in bustling markets">Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur): Visit famous landmarks and shop in bustling markets</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="4" msid="109620442" hostid="261" sizebytes="1172582" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Delhi-Agra-Jaipur&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>If you want to dive into the culture of North India, the Golden Triangle route is perfect for you! It takes you through the three most culturally vibrant cities. Check out the amazing Taj Mahal in Agra, stroll around lively streets in Delhi, and soak up the royal vibes of Jaipur. You'll see everything from busy markets in Old Delhi to grand forts in Rajasthan, giving you a taste of India's rich history, culture, and stunning architecture. Distance: Approximately 600-700 kilometres round trip from Delhi. Places to Visit: Delhi (Red Fort, Jama Masjid), Agra (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort), Jaipur (Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal). Preferred vehicle for trip: Sedans, SUVs, or motorcycles suitable for highway driving and urban navigation. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Bangalore to Coorg: Dive into coffee plantations and lush forests" comment="subhead" text="Bangalore to Coorg: Dive into coffee plantations and lush forests">Bangalore to Coorg: Dive into coffee plantations and lush forests</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="5" msid="109620458" hostid="261" sizebytes="1438445" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Bangalore to Coorg&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>Exploring from Bangalore to Coorg on a road trip is a real treat for nature lovers! Coorg, one of the top hill stations in the South, is situated in the Western Ghats, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding landscapes. As you drive, you'll pass through picturesque coffee plantations, where you can take in the fresh mountain air and marvel at stunning waterfalls like Abbey Falls and Iruppu Falls. Make sure to savour the aromatic Coorg coffee, take leisurely walks through the lush forests, and soak up the serene beauty of this charming hill station. Distance: Around 250 kilometres one way from Bangalore to Madikeri. Places to Visit: Madikeri, Abbey Falls, Raja's Seat, Namdroling Monastery, Talakaveri. Preferred vehicle for trip: Sedans or SUVs for comfortable highway driving and navigating hilly terrain. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Kolkata to Sundarbans: Spot tigers and explore mangrove forests" comment="subhead" text="Kolkata to Sundarbans: Spot tigers and explore mangrove forests">Kolkata to Sundarbans: Spot tigers and explore mangrove forests</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="6" msid="109620488" hostid="261" sizebytes="1561096" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Kolkata to Sundarbans&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>Cruise along the tranquil waters of the Ganges, spot majestic Royal Bengal tigers and explore the mysterious mangrove forests. Dive into the rich culture of the Sundarbans' fishing communities, and learn about conservation efforts in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, making memories in the untamed beauty of nature. Distance: Approximately 100-150 kilometres one way from Kolkata to Sundarbans. Places to Visit: Sundarbans National Park, Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary, Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower. Preferred vehicle for trip: SUVs or motorcycles for navigating rural roads and occasional off-road tracks. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Chennai to Pondicherry: Chill on beaches and try French food" comment="subhead" text="Chennai to Pondicherry: Chill on beaches and try French food">Chennai to Pondicherry: Chill on beaches and try French food</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="7" msid="109620503" hostid="261" sizebytes="1982933" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Chennai to Pondicherry&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>This road trip is one of India's best because the journey itself is full of memories and experiences, even more than the destination. Along the way, you'll see amazing beaches in Southern India and can stop for some fresh coconut whenever you want. The East Coast Road is in great shape for driving or riding. Once you're there, enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of Pondicherry, check out the spiritual community of Auroville, and just chill in the calm vibes of this coastal town. Distance: Around 150 kilometres one way from Chennai to Pondicherry. Places to Visit: Auroville, Promenade Beach, Aurobindo Ashram, Matrimandir. Preferred vehicle for trip: Sedans or SUVs for comfortable highway driving. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Ahmedabad to Kutch: See the white desert and enjoy cultural festivals" comment="subhead" text="Ahmedabad to Kutch: See the white desert and enjoy cultural festivals">Ahmedabad to Kutch: See the white desert and enjoy cultural festivals</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="8" msid="109620534" hostid="261" sizebytes="1222305" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Ahmedabad to Kutch&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>Travelling on Ahmedabad to Kutch be prepared to be mesmerised by the surreal beauty of the Rann of Kutch. Feast your eyes on the expansive white desert and experience the vibrant culture of the Kutchi people. Dive into the excitement of the Rann Utsav festivities, where you'll immerse yourself in music, dance, and tradition. Don't miss the breathtaking sunsets painting the horizon, providing the perfect backdrop for creating cherished memories in this one-of-a-kind landscape. Distance: Typically around 600-700 kilometres round trip from Ahmedabad. Places to Visit: Rann of Kutch, Bhuj, Mandvi Beach, Kutch Museum. Preferred vehicle for trip: SUVs or motorcycles capable of handling long-distance travel and occasional off-road conditions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Shillong to Cherrapunji: Hike to waterfalls and see living root bridges" comment="subhead" text="Shillong to Cherrapunji: Hike to waterfalls and see living root bridges">Shillong to Cherrapunji: Hike to waterfalls and see living root bridges</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="9" msid="109620571" hostid="261" sizebytes="1349550" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Shillong to Cherrapunji&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>Drive through the scenic wonders of Meghalaya from Shillong to Cherrapunji! Drive past lush green hills, chase cascading waterfalls like Nohkalikai and Seven Sisters, and trek to marvel at living root bridges hidden in the dense forests. Experience the warm hospitality of Northeast India and immerse yourself in the natural beauty of this enchanting region. Distance: Approximately 50 kilometres one way from Shillong to Cherrapunji. Places to Visit: Nohkalikai Falls, Seven Sisters Falls, Mawsmai Cave, Living Root Bridges. Preferred vehicle for trip: SUVs or motorcycles for navigating hilly terrain and occasional rough roads. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Delhi to Rishikesh: Relax by the Ganges and do yoga in the Himalayas" comment="subhead" text="Delhi to Rishikesh: Relax by the Ganges and do yoga in the Himalayas">Delhi to Rishikesh: Relax by the Ganges and do yoga in the Himalayas</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="10" msid="109620586" hostid="261" sizebytes="2499024" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Delhi to Rishikesh&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>If you're after a quick, adventurous trip that's family-friendly, Delhi to Rishikesh is the way to go! Start your spiritual journey from Delhi to Rishikesh. Follow the winding roads alongside the sacred Ganges River, visit ancient temples and peaceful ashrams, and recharge your spirit with yoga and meditation. Experience the calming atmosphere of Rishikesh located in the Himalayan foothills, and set off on a journey to discover more about yourself surrounded by the peaceful beauty of nature. Distance: Around 250 kilometres one way from Delhi to Rishikesh. Places to Visit: Triveni Ghat, Laxman Jhula, Ram Jhula, Beatles Ashram. Preferred vehicle for trip: Sedans, SUVs, or motorcycles suitable for highway driving and occasional off-road conditions. Before hitting the road, ensure your vehicle is in good condition, carry essential supplies, and plan your itinerary to make the most of your adventure. So, pack your bags, fuel up your car, and get ready for an epic road trip across Incredible India in 2024! <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Frequently Asked Questions" comment="subhead" text="Frequently Asked Questions">Frequently Asked Questions</cmsannotation> 1. is it safe to go on a road trip in India? Generally, <keyword id="3288322" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Road-trips-in-India" source="Orion">road trips in India</keyword> are safe, but it's essential to take necessary precautions like ensuring your vehicle is in good condition, driving defensively, and being mindful of road conditions and traffic rules. 2. What is the best time for a road trip in India? The best time for a road trip in India depends on the destination. For instance, the summer months (April to June) are ideal for hill stations like Shimla or Manali, while winter (October to February) is perfect for exploring Rajasthan or Gujarat. 3. What should I pack for a road trip in India? Essentials for a road trip in India include valid documents (driver's license, vehicle registration), spare tire and tools, first aid kit, snacks and water, navigation aids (maps or GPS), emergency contact numbers, and appropriate clothing and footwear. 4. How can I ensure a memorable road trip experience in India? To make the most of your road trip experience in India, plan your route, research attractions along the way, embrace spontaneity, interact with locals to learn about the culture, try local cuisines, and most importantly, stay flexible and enjoy the journey as much as the destination. 5. What are the accommodation options available during road trips in India? Accommodation options during road trips in India vary from budget guesthouses and roadside motels to luxury resorts and camping sites. It's advisable to book accommodations in advance, especially during peak tourist seasons or in remote areas. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/india/scenic-road-trips-in-india-during-monsoon/slidelist/101542343.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Scenic road trips in India during Monsoon</a>

10 Ultimate road trip routes in India for 2024

Bhubaneswar, May 8 () Keen to revive the severely-hit tourism sector in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic,the Odisha government is planning to come out with a packagefor promotion of various destinations in the state to woodomestic travellers in the post lockdown scenario, an officialsaid.Chief Secretary A K Tripathy held a meeting with theofficials concerned on Thursday, and directed them to preparean incentive scheme to attract private investment in thehospitality and tourism industry which is considered to be alabour-intensive service sector."Domestic tourism is the core focus in the postlockdown phase as this segment is expected to revive fasterthan the others," Tripathy said.The government has decided to prioritise thedevelopment projects in tourist destinations like Rambha andSatpada clusters in Chilika, Bhitarkanika national park,Chandrabhaga and Talsari beaches, he said.Tripatahy also suggested the department to explorepossibilities of developing "Eco-Retreat 2020" hubs in thelocations like Daringbadi, Debrigarh, Satkosia, Konark andMahanadi Riverbed between Naraj and Dhabaleswar.He also directed the department to make a detailedoperational plan involving various government agencies and keystakeholders."The comprehensive development of Buddhist circuit andShamuka project near Puri were also discussed in the meeting,"tourism department secretary Vishal Dev said.He said the department has made a holistic assessmentof Covid-19 impact on the tourism sector."There were cancellations of bookings due to thelockdown. All the stakeholders will need support from thefinancial institutions," Dev said.He said the government will organise road shows inmetros and tier-II cities across the country to attractdomestic tourists."A special campaign will be taken up to promote thetourism sector with organising Odia food festivals across sixcities," Dev added. AAMBDC BDC

Odisha plans revival of tourism post lockdown

<ul><li>Only 250,000 Chinese tourists came to <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> in 2016, making India’s immediate neighbour the ninth-largest source of tourists. </li><li>To stimulate interest among Chinese tourists, India’s <keyword id="20048" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism">tourism</keyword> ministry is setting up an office in Beijing and launching roadshows in a number of Chinese cities. </li><li>Ultimately, the tourism ministry’s end goal is to attract at least 1% of <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>’s outbound tourists this year and 10% within the next five years. </li></ul>India’s tourism sector has a problem. It is failing to attract tourists from China which, as per 2016 estimates from the UN’s World Tourism Organization, is the country that contributes the most to global tourism with 135 million outbound visitors. As per calculations from the Indian Express, only <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-snippets-chinese-are-biggest-contributors-to-world-tourism-only-1-in-500-of-them-travels-to-india-5328055/">1 out of 540 Chinese tourists</a> made it to India in 2016, culminating in a paltry total of 250,000 tourists. This makes China, our immediate neighbour, only the ninth-largest source of tourists in India, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Naturally, the Indian government wants to change this. The low level of interest from Chinese tourists represents a huge opportunity to take advantage of, or gap that must be addressed, depending on how you look at it. India’s Minister for Tourism, KJ Alphons, is leaving for China today to oversee the establishment of an Indian tourism outpost in Beijing. The office, which is expected to be operational by the end of the month, will facilitate the launch of tourism roadshows across China in cities like Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou. The Tourism Ministry has also planned to invite members of the Chinese media and lifestyle industries to India and train more Indian guides to speak Mandarin. Currently, there are reported to be only <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/plan-to-increase-chinese-tourists-hits-roadblock-with-only-few-mandarin-speaking-guides/story-6t8QT3m8JkmOmn50a8jo3N.html">37 accredited Indian guides</a> who are trained in Mandarin. Alphons’ last visit to China was in May, when he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization conference on tourism at the behest of Prime Minister Modi. A key focus area of the tourism ministry's efforts in attracting Chinese tourists will be the promotion of the Buddhist Circuit in India. In fact, the ministry has initiated talks with the highways ministry to connect the entire Buddhist travel circuit in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with four-lane highways. Ultimately, the tourism ministry’s end goal is to attract at least 1% of China’s outbound visitors this year and 10% within the next five years. Given that tourism is considered an export, the envisioned surge in Chinese tourists will contribute towards the reduction of India’s glaring <keyword id="44844" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Trade">trade</keyword> deficit with China, which is estimated to be around $63 billion.

The Indian government wants to attract more Chinese tourists and here’s what it has planned

India receives less than one per cent <keyword id="608308" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="international-tourists">international tourists</keyword> annually and their average stay in the country has come down by two days, Tourism Minister <keyword id="210147" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mahesh-Sharma">Mahesh Sharma</keyword> said in today. Replying a question in <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword>, Sharma said India received just 0.68 per cent of the world tourists every year and efforts have been made to attract more and more international tourists to the country. 

	"Various initiatives have been taken by the government to attract more foreign tourists that include e-tourist visa, providing financial assistance to state governments launching 12 theme based tourist circuits," he said during question hour.
 

	The Minister said in 2011-12, on an average foreign tourists in India used to stay 20-22 days at a stretch which has come down to 18-20 days now.
 Sharma said Tourisim Ministry has launched a new scheme '<keyword id="2964753" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Swadesh-Darshan">Swadesh Darshan</keyword>' for development of theme-based tourist circuits in a way that caters to both mass and niche tourism in a holistic manner. 

	The 12 circuits are North-East India circuit, Buddhist circuit, Himalayan circuit, Coastal circuit, Krishna circuit, Desert circuit, Tribal circuit, Eco circuit, Wildlife circuit, Rural circuit, Spiritual circuit and Ramayana circuit.
 

	"A series of promotional activities are being undertaken in tourist generating markets overseas through the India Tourism Offices abroad with the objective of showcasing India's tourism potential and promoting tourism to the country," he said.
 

	These promotional activities include participation in travel fairs and exhibitions, organising road shows, Know India seminars and workshops, organising and supporting Indian food and cultural festivals, publication of brochures, offering joint advertising and brochure support and inviting media personalities, tour operators and opinion makers to visit the country under the hospitality programme of the Ministry, he said. 
	 
	(Image credit: BCCL)

India receives only 0.68 per cent of foreign tourists every year

In a bid to ease domestic travel in India, the ministry has decided to allow foreigners and NRIs to book train tickets online. This could be done using their credit or debit cards issued by respective foreign banks. As of now, this is done only via booking agents, tour operators or relatives and friends. 
 <keyword id="65866" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IRCTC">IRCTC</keyword> is undergoing several changes in its system to enable international transactions. 
 “Our aim is to facilitate foreigners and NRIs hassle-free ticket booking facility and <keyword id="6355455" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Railways">Indian Railways</keyword> Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been instructed to do the needful,” a senior Railway Ministry official said. 
 Generally, foreigners like to book train tickets for Buddhist circuit trains, luxury services like '<keyword id="3323069" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Palace-on-Wheel">Palace on Wheel</keyword>', 'Maharaja' and other such tourist specials. The process will likely be functional by the end of this month. 
 
<a href="http://lazzycow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/pow2.jpg">Image source</a>

You can now book Indian train tickets from
abroad on IRCTC

To give greater emphasis on tourism in the upcoming budget, industry body <keyword id="6355988" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Assocham">ASSOCHAM</keyword> has recommended the government to reduce tax burden on the industry. The chamber also suggested that the government should work towards setting up tourism circuits around different themes, in order to attract larger number of foreign tourists in the country. 
 “Launch projects to create 50 tourist circuits around themes of Heritage, Culture, Himalayas, Desert, North East Region, Coastal, Sports and Films. Create a Hindu Circuit akin to Buddhist Circuit; explore synergy with North East, <keyword id="8470" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="SAARC">SAARC</keyword> and South East Asian countries which have a strong ‘India’ connect,” said DS Rawat, general secretary of ASSOCHAM. 
 Commenting on the issue of multiple taxes, Subhash Goyal, chairman of STIC Travel Group and President of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), stated that the industry expected relief once the Goods &amp; Services Tax (<keyword id="6354679" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST">GST</keyword>) is implemented. 
 
“The problem is that tourism is not treated at par with other export-based sectors. While sectors that export goods are exempted from service tax, the tourism industry, which is a part of service sector, is made to pay the service tax. We want the government to treat us as other foreign currency earner,” stated Goyal. 
 
He further added the government must focus on reducing the taxes on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) as it has made airfare in India expensive, which has adversely impacted the sector. 
 
According to Goyal, since the tax paid on ATF varies in different states, hence, the implementation of GST becomes although more imperative. “The government should restrict the tax levied on ATF to a maximum of 5% as anything more than that can make air travel in India expensive, thus benefitting other Southeast Asian destination such as Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, which are more cost-competitive,” noted Goyal. 
 
Addressing the issue of shortage of room inventory in the major tourist destinations, the chamber stated that the government should focus on finding ways to increase the number of budget hotels for more room inventory. 
 
“The government should accord ‘Infrastructure’ status for hotel projects with minimum 50-100 rooms (from current cost-based criteria of Rs 200 crore) and reduce availability constraints by expanding mid-segment hotels of 2-3 star categories,” added Rawat.

Govt must reduce tax burden on tourism industry

Indians love travelling to both domestic as well as international destinations. And while the country offers diverse <keyword id="20048" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism">tourism</keyword> experiences to travellers from all corners of the world, travel industry players are still hoping that the government realises the strategic role that tourism and hospitality sector plays in growing the country’s economy. 
 According to a report on tourism and hospitality sector under the ‘<keyword id="6354869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="make-in-India">Make in India</keyword>’ campaign, the sector has contributed Rs 2,17,810 crore to the GDP in 2013 and its share in the pie is expected to rise by another 7.5% by end of this fiscal. The report also recognised that tourism sector in India is one of the largest employment generator as well. 
 
However, industry players have often complained that even though the successive governments have recognised the contribution made by the sector, they have hardly given the industry its rightful due. 
 Nevertheless, this time the travel industry is hopeful of the <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> government and is anticipating greater support from the Centre in terms of policies. Swaminathan Vedaranyam, CEO of Via.com, an online travel booking site, said, “As far as the travel industry is concerned, I think there is an urgent need for well-defined policies and clear commitments to ensure that all cultural heritage points are given more attention with improved infrastructural facilities”. 
 
Taxation: Killing the golden goose? 
 
Players have often asserted that multiplicity of taxes coupled with a complex taxation policy have marred the travel agents in the country. “Travel as a sector is considerably dependent on foreign transactions and can contribute substantially to the nation’s foreign exchange reserves. The taxation policy for the sector is especially nuanced and has several facets that need to be reviewed,” says Rakshit Desai, managing director India, FCm Travel Solutions and Flight Shop. 
 
He added, “By extending the measures introduced in the previous budget, we look forward to some fundamental changes to simplify tax structures. A case in point is the CENVAT credit for services benefiting from an abated tax rate. Currently applicable to rent-a-cab services and tour operators, this needs to be expanded to cover the complete gamut of travel related services covered by abatement to limit taxation to value addition.” 
 
It should be noted that most players have often complained that multiplicity of taxes in India gives an edge to other Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. 
 
Is it an unfair treatment? 
 
Subhash Goyal, chairman of STIC Travel Group and president of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), said, the industry may get some relief on implementation of the Goods &amp; Services Tax (GST). 
 
“The problem is that tourism is not treated at par with other export-based sectors. While sectors that export goods are exempted from service tax, the tourism industry, which is a part of service sector, is made to pay the service tax. We want the government to treat us as other foreign currency earner,” averred Goyal. 
 
Desai of FCm Travel added that a slash in service tax will be a much needed relief to foster the sector’s growth. “This would be especially beneficial for travel operators in case of services rendered to foreign offices of global and multi-national companies, where travel originates outside India and payments are received in foreign exchange,” he noted. 
 
Revitalisation of associate industries 
 
India has a large base of air passengers. However, complex tax structure and lack of infrastructure is not allowing the airline companies to harness this resource to the fullest. 
 
Industry players have asked the government must focus on reducing the taxes on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) as it has made airfare in India expensive, which has adversely impacted the sector. 
 
According to Goyal, since the tax paid on ATF varies in different states, the implementation of GST becomes more imperative. “The government should restrict the tax levied on ATF to a maximum of 5% as anything more than that can make air travel in India expensive, thus benefiting other Southeast Asian destination such as Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, which are more cost-competitive,” he pointed out. 
 
Also, the lack of infrastructure has adversely impacted the growth of the aviation industry. Vedaranyam said, “There is a recent spurt in domestic travel as well as a higher influx of foreign tourists in India and with dedicated upkeep of the tourist hotspots, we can ensure higher growth for the travel industry. Additionally, I wish that there is an allocation towards revitalising all unused airports in tier II and III cities as these geographies hold immense potential today. There should also be a rationalisation of air travel taxes for competitive pricing to boost travel and tourism”. 
 
In terms of the availability of adequate rooms, the travel industry expects the government to address the issue of shortage of room inventory in the major tourist destinations. DS Rawat, general secretary of ASSOCHAM, said that the government should focus on finding ways to increase the number of budget hotels for more room inventory. 
 
“The government should accord ‘Infrastructure’ status for hotel projects with minimum 50-100 rooms (from current cost-based criteria of Rs 200 crore) and reduce availability constraints by expanding mid-segment hotels of 2-3 star categories,” suggested Rawat. 
 
Innovation: the key to success? 
 To ward off the fear of cut-throat competition, Rawat recommends “Launch projects to create 50 tourist circuits around themes of Heritage, Culture, Himalayas, Desert, North East Region, Coastal, Sports and Films. Create a Hindu Circuit akin to Buddhist Circuit; explore synergy with North East, <keyword id="8470" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="SAARC">SAARC</keyword> and South East Asian countries which have a strong ‘India’ connect”. 
 
Our view 
 
BI India feels that the government must protect the interest of the players in this sector especially since it employs a large part of our working population. The government must also realize that the industry is also responsible for bringing together several disorganised sectors and hence should implement measures that promote the growth of the travel industry. 
 
At present, India does not even contribute 1% to the international travel market. Nevertheless, it can be turned around as the country as a tourism destination has a huge potential to woo both foreign and domestic travellers.

Union
Budget 2015: What Govt should do to boost India’s travel industry?

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>In lucid dreaming, every night offers up the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure-a dreamscape confined only by the limits of your imagination and entirely under your control.
The horizon-expanding results are often felt long after you've awoken. Which is why a growing number of LD practitioners aren't just having more fun in bed-they're using their dreams to get ahead.
I'm lost in the woods. It's nighttime. The light of a full moon shows me I'm surrounded by menacing-looking trees, curiously similar to the ones that pelted Dorothy with apples in The Wizard of Oz. Then I spot it, smack in the middle of the forest-a brightly lit office cubicle with a laptop inside. "That's funny," I say to myself. "You don't usually see office cubes in the woods." Suddenly it hits me: The cubicle is my dream sign, a signal to my subconscious that I'm actually asleep, that everything around me is a projection of my imagination. After weeks of practice, of studying ancient Tibetan dream techniques, of wearing a special sleep mask that flashed lights in my eyes in the middle of the night, of ingesting questionable subconsciousness-raising drugs purchased from untrustworthy sources over the Internet, I'm finally doing it. I'm having my first lucid dream.
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This clarity hits me even within my dream state. I'm so thrilled by the revelation, I plop myself down in the cubicle and start typing. Yes, I wrote this story in my sleep.
This is merely one manifestation of the state of being known as lucid dreaming. You're asleep. You're dreaming. But you're aware it's a dream-unconscious but conscious (or is it vice versa?). On the one hand, this is a common enough phenomenon-one study concluded that as many as 70 percent of people experience lucid dreaming at least once in their lifetime. On the other, the ability to have lucid dreams on demand can be a difficult skill to acquire.
A growing army of LD practitioners are training their sleeping brains to take maximum advantage of that lucid state, learning to control it in search of a mind-blowing natural trip. Imagine turning the inside of your head into the ultimate virtual-reality chamber, living out your deepest, most daring fantasies and desires, all without ever leaving your bed. Go ahead, fly to Zanzibar in your underwear. Play guitar like Jimi Hendrix-with Jimi Hendrix. Steer yourself not to a cubicle but to the corner office. Have sex with a supermodel. Or two supermodels. Literally anything you can imagine is possible in a lucid dream, because you have the keys to your subconscious.
Of course, the desire to control one's dreams is as old as dreaming itself, and unlocking the secret to lucid dreaming has long been a goal of philosophers, theologians, and scientists. Aristotle was said to have dabbled in it. Saint Augustine wrote about it. Eighth-century Buddhist monks devoted lifetimes to teaching a form of lucid dreaming known as dream yoga. Your hippie parents might have experimented with it at Esalen in the 1970s. But unlike many other New Age fads, lucid dreaming has a strong scientific foundation. And over the past 30 years, study after study has shown that lucid dreaming can have a profound impact on waking life. Researchers in Canada are using LD as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Sleep scientists in Germany are studying its applications for sports training-to improve both focus and performance in athletes. Closer to home, a doctor at a VA hospital in Los Angeles published a paper in January detailing the case of a patient with a 22-year history of chronic pain who cured himself overnight with a single lucid dream. "I'm no expert on lucid dreams," says Dr. Mauro Zappaterra. "But the man woke up with no pain. He said it was like his brain had shut down and rebooted. A few days later, he walks into the VA pharmacy and actually returns his medication-300 tabs of levorphanol. To me that's pretty convincing evidence."
Outside the scientific realm, lucid dreams serve as an idea lab for creative types: Actors and admen, inventors and game designers, fine artists, musicians, and filmmakers-like Michel Gondry and Guillermo del Toro-have practiced lucid dreaming. As the buzz about LD builds, it's gotten to the point where you can't stay up late drinking in the bar at the Chateau Marmont without overhearing a group of English indie musicians on their way home from Coachella going on and on about having lucid dreams in the desert or a starlet and a former professional athlete nearby gushing that LD is "better than TM."
There are now scores of lucid-dreaming websites offering online courses and dozens of LD-training apps on iTunes (one of which was downloaded more than 500,000 times in its first six weeks) promising to prepare your mind for dream flight. There are weeklong workshops in Hawaii, seminars in the Hamptons, and-the obligatory indicator of an incubating trend-TEDxTalks. And why not? Who wouldn't want to be "the producer, writer, director, and star of your dreams," as the promotional copy for one lucid-dreaming meet-up in New York City promised.
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"Yeah, it is becoming trendy," acknowledges Charlie Morley, a 30-year-old British lucid-dream teacher and the author of Dreams of Awakening: Lucid Dreams and Mindfulness of Dream &amp; Sleep (previously he was a rapper in a Buddhist hip-hop group). "But it's not just hipsters doing it. It's all sorts of people, because there's no equipment to buy, no club to join, no money you have to spend. Anybody can do it."
However, not everyone has the same aptitude for lucid dreaming. There are those who pick it up instantly-Morley taught himself at 16, with no training-zooming to the moon on their first trip, while lucidity-challenged dreamers plod along for months before achieving liftoff. The reasons elude scientists, though a recent-and perhaps unsurprising-study at MacEwan University in Canada discovered that gamers are more likely to experience lucid dreams than non-gamers ("Virtual reality is virtual reality," explains one of the researchers). Also, those who tend to remember their dreams seem to have an easier time mastering LD than those who wake with no memory of them. But another recent study, this one at Goethe University in Germany, holds out hope for even the hardest cases: Sleep researchers there found that a mild electric current delivered to the frontal lobe for 30 seconds during REM sleep triggered lucidity 77 percent of the time. Can it be long before wearable LD brain shockers start appearing alongside Google Glass and Oculus Rift?
The more people experiment with lucid dreaming, the more distinct manifestations of it we will find, yet there is a certain universality, too-almost all lucid dreamers have the impulse to do the same thing. They fly. "Oh, man, being able to fly," Morley says, smiling broadly at the memory. "Flying is amazing. The feeling of floating above the earth, free from gravity-it's so liberating. I used to go to bed early on Saturday nights just so I could fly in my dreams. I got stuck doing that for two years. All I did was fly around and go to orgies."
You'd think it would be addictive, but sooner or later boredom sets in. "After you've flown for the thousandth time, you start looking for other, less superficial applications," says Tim Post, the 30-year-old founder of the LD website Snoozon.com, who taught himself to lucid-dream after being inspired by The Matrix. "You start trying to bridge your lucid-dream experience with your waking life. You start asking, 'How can I learn from this? How can I use it to be a better person, or get ahead at work, or rehearse for a sporting event?' Eventually, you look for practical applications."
You don't have to look far. Like that case of the VA patient who cured his pain with a single lucid dream (involving beautiful musical tones and strands of giant DNA made out of cookie dough-hey, whatever works). It can be useful for coping with nightmares, overcoming shyness, or dealing with bereavement, and it can be helpful for practicing for a big presentation, pumping up one's confidence, or solving creative problems (Paul McCartney famously puzzled out the troublesome melody of "Yesterday" in a lucid dream). In many ways, LD is the perfect self-help trend for our super-busy, technology-obsessed times. Not only is it just the right mix of ancient Eastern philosophy and cutting-edge brain science, but it also lets you get twice as much done in a day by turning your sleep hours into a night shift.
Exactly how lucid dreaming works in the brain is still something of a mystery. Research shows that lucid dreaming stimulates the mind in the same ways as waking life. If you sing during a lucid dream, for example, the right hemisphere lights up, just as it would if you were awake. If you do math, the left hemisphere becomes active. And the effects reverberate through your body even after you wake up. It can, for instance, improve motor skills. Sleep researchers at Heidelberg University proved that practicing a task in a lucid dream-tossing a coin into a cup-makes the dreamer significantly better at it during waking hours. They're currently experimenting with more complex tasks, like running and jumping, to see if eventually athletes might be able to train in their sleep.
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But the real power of lucid dreaming, according to those who've mastered it, is how it alters your perception of, well, pretty much everything.
"When I'm flying in a dream, what's moving?" asks Robert Waggoner, the author of Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self and a popular speaker on the lucid-dream lecture circuit. "What's the nature of space in a lucid dream? It's just a mental construct. Early lucid dreamers, the Buddhists who practiced dream yoga, they wouldn't even bother to fly to the mountain in their dreams. They'd just pull the mountain to them."
"It does tend to blur the lines between reality and dream life," agrees Sean Kelly, a 27-year-old longtime lucid dreamer from California who studied perception and cognitive science at the University of California, Berkeley, and now splits his time between Thailand and India, studying yoga and consciousness. "Not to the point where you can't function. It's not like, 'Oh my God, I can't cook this egg because I don't know if it's real.' But when you start to experience a lucid dream-consciousness without being encased in a physical body-it starts to shift your idea of the world, of what reality really is. Reality in a dream and reality in the physical world-they're both constructs of your consciousness. You start to realize that we don't have any idea at all what reality really is."
If taking flight via lucid dreaming sounds like a different sort of trip, there's a reason.
 "I was climbing K2 and there were snowdrifts all around," says Dr. Stephen LaBerge, recalling the dream that would ultimately bring LD into the mainstream. "But I was dressed in shorts. And I thought, 'Wait a minute, I'm not properly prepared to go to the top of a mountain. Of course, it's a dream!' I was so reeled by it, I just flew off the mountain."
Meet the godfather of lucid dreaming, the researcher who brought LD from the fringes of alternative psychology to the razor-sharp edge of modern sleep and dream science. LaBerge, who bears a passing resemblance to Christopher Lloyd's Doc from the Back to the Future movies (though he drives a Subaru, not a DeLorean), is 67 now, living in Arizona and leading seminars. His dream about climbing K2 in shorts came when he was a graduate student in chemical physics at Stanford in the late sixties. Like so many others of his generation, he was drawn to psychedelics-only in his case, as a subject for study. He was researching their effects on consciousness. The substances, though, were illegal, making research difficult. LaBerge's eureka moment-his mountain-climbing dream-"set the seed," he says. "I couldn't study psychedelics, but here was a state-one that happens naturally in the REM cycle-that had similar potential."
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The breakthrough came in the early eighties, while LaBerge was conducting research at Stanford's prestigious Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine. He had come up with an ingeniously simple study that proved once and for all the reality of lucid dreaming: Subjects with a history of lucid dreaming were given instructions to send specific signals-two pairs of left-to-right eye movements-once they slipped into the deepest level of REM sleep, where lucidity occurs. "That was something," LaBerge recalls proudly. "A communication from the dream world while it was happening."
He spent the following decades sharing his findings in books (Lucid Dreaming, Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming), establishing the Lucidity Institute, and inventing devices like the NovaDreamer, a now-discontinued sleep mask designed to nudge dreamers into lucidity with light pulses powerful enough to penetrate the unconscious and alert dreamers that they're asleep, but not so disruptive as to wake them.
Whether you're delivered there by light or by luck, the moment you achieve awareness that you're in a dream is when it becomes lucid. LD practitioners train themselves to recognize dream signals-in my case, an office cubicle in the middle of a forest; in LaBerge's, inappropriate mountain-climbing attire-that tip them off to the fact that they're dreaming (think of them as unreality checks). Sean Kelly suggests giving yourself the finger: He pushes his middle finger into the flesh of his palm, and if it goes through, he knows he's dreaming.
During my first few unsuccessful weeks attempting lucidity, none of this worked. Nor did the Remee, a red-light-emitting LD mask made by a Brooklyn company, which just kept me from sleeping at all.
There is another, chemical option for those stuck on the lucidity launchpad, something that several lucid dreamers had quietly clued me in to: galantamine, a brain-boosting drug used as a treatment for Alzheimer's that's said to have powerful lucid-dream-triggering side effects. Like many other nootropics, a.k.a. smart drugs, galantamine requires a prescription in the U.S., but low-dosage capsules containing its active ingredient-derived from the flowers of the Galanthus causcasicus plant-can easily be obtained. You wake up to take it at three in the morning, then go back to sleep, perchance to lucid-dream.
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It didn't have an effect on me, at least not initially. But then, a couple of nights later, when I wasn't expecting it, I had my lucid dream. It may have been a delayed reaction to the galantamine. Or perhaps it was simply because I'd been concentrating on lucid dreaming so intensely (all the experts agree that a strong desire to lucid-dream is a key factor in achieving lucidity)-and on my looming deadline. But there I was, in a cubicle in the forest, typing these words into a laptop: This is exhilarating. Although next time, I want to try to dream bigger. I'm going to fly.

Lucid Dreamers Are Using Their Sleeping Time To Get Ahead

<div class="image-container float_right"><div class="image"><a href="http://www.quora.com/Christian-Ritchie">www.quora.com</a>Christian Ritchie.</div></div><a href="http://www.quora.com/Intelligence-Quotient/What-is-it-like-to-have-an-extremely-high-IQ">What is it like to have an extremely high IQ?</a>
Pretty much everyone responding to this question on a popular <keyword id="274437" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Quora">Quora</keyword> thread agreed that it can be difficult, as geniuses and near-geniuses struggle to relate to other people and find it hard to get motivated to work hard.
<a href="http://www.quora.com/Intelligence-Quotient/What-is-it-like-to-have-an-extremely-high-IQ/answer/Christian-Ritchie">One of the most interesting answers came from Christian Ritchie</a>, an innovation analyst at PepsiCo, who explained how he struggled with having a high IQ before realizing he had to work hard.
His answer is published with permission below:
I have what most would consider a high IQ. I test in the top 1% in almost all testing I've done throughout most of my life. I would assume for those who have used and engaged it, it has been rewarding. It has been my best friend and my worst enemy at alternating times in my life. I have, for the most part, done very little with mine, which has been a source of frustration, depression, and, at some points, marital strife. 
Schooling Academics were my first out, with a mediocre academic career that featured little work on my part, always perfect test scores, and an ongoing army of teachers who felt they were doing me a favor by passing me because I knew the material, rather than failing me for my work ethic. It helped that I attended a new school nearly every year due to my military upbringing, so teachers felt sorry for me rather than recognizing my self-destructive pattern of behavior. Friendships I will admit that my IQ isolated me quite a bit. I was too smart to fit with the "popular" kids, and my being the perpetual new kid didn't help. I was also the least accomplished and laziest of my intellectual peers, so didn't fit in that group either. Mostly, I ended up with the people who didn't care...the stoners one year, skateboarders another, emo kids another year, and always a small group of friends to play D&amp;D with. I never had a set group identity. Oddly enough, be it friends or professional contacts, I have never found it too difficult to relate to other people strictly based on IQ. I'm much more likely to find issues with people who are married to specific ideologies. I have always ascribed to the Einstein quote: "Everybody is a <keyword id="62570" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Genius">genius</keyword>. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid." My background in customer service (see below) helped, But I also realized that while I can, for instance, take apart your computer at a near circuit level, I can't work on an engine, fly a plane, design a building, or paint the Mona Lisa. Everyone has talents, and IQ is just one of many that people can possess. It is certainly one of the most advantageous in modern society, but its not the only one that is worthwhile. 
Work After high school (I never went to college for more than half a semester until recently), I found I simply lacked motivation to excel. There was always a high-minded philosophical basis for my stagnation: buddhist ideas against the accumulation of material possessions, a smug sense of escaping from the consumerist ideology that consumed American culture, etc. As long as my job paid for my hobbies, I was content to maintain a job that offered and expected very little from me. With my love for technology, I ended up at multiple help desk jobs of varying positions for over 10 years. At some point, before I began to understand my own culpability in the direction of my life, my intellect became poisonous. I started thinking about moving forward in my career, but never in terms of what *I* needed to do, but in the self-pitying belief that others simply failed to recognize my gifts and give me what I was DUE, either because they felt threatened or because they were unable to recognize and relate to my intelligence. Everyone always said the same thing, "You're so smart/talented, I'm surprised you're still doing this", and so was I, though I shouldn't have been. I believed my intelligence entitled me to opportunity, and it soured me on my professional relationships for a long time. I'm not sure at what point I came to the realization that it is the outcome of the sum of your talents, and not the talents themselves, that define you as a person. Probably around the time I met my wife, and became a father. It wasn't just about SUPPORTING my children, or accumulating money, because there are plenty of starving artists raising amazing children. But I have no gift for art or music. My intellect is really all I have, so I knew that if I was going to teach my children self-worth, to make the most of the talents and opportunity they had, I would have to stop making excuses and do it myself. The last few years have paid off. My success has grown, in professional circles inside and outside my work. I've moved from doing things I *know* to doing things I *love*, paying my dues along the way, and not taking shortcuts. I hope that I'm showing my children that simply having a gift isn't enough. That being said... Family I wish I could say I've "fixed" everything about me that my high IQ has "broken", but that isn't the case. I spend a lot of time, far more than I should, inside my own head, or working on problems that interest me, time that should be spent with family. I let my children spend too much time steering their own destiny, with little or no limitation, and they mostly choose to spend it glued to a computer playing video games. It is difficult for me still to find balance between everything that needs to done at home, and the things that I feel I need to do for myself. I'm not getting any younger, and I wasted a great deal of the opportunity of my youth. However, my constant NEED to better myself combined with the fact that I still struggle against poor habits, easy distraction, and severe disorganization cause my wife no end of frustration as I pursue whatever the "next thing" that consumes me might be. She is an angel for putting up with it, but her grace doesn't excuse me from my obligation to find a better balance. At the same time, I have to work harder to make sure I don't miss the opportunity of my sons' youth as well. Children seldom care about your work ethic if you're not around the rest of the time. It's a work in progress, but never one you should give up on.

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