Abstract

From the Vedic period, India followed a unique principle of hospitality called Atithi Devo Bhava. It argues that the guest should be honored like God. The Upanishads and other religious texts considered it a religious duty and spiritual exercise. Other religions also echoed the same attitude in hospitality. All these constituted India's cultural capital, which affirmed the importance of following this principle as a way of life. For centuries, Indians sincerely followed it. However, today, the hospitality and tourism sector is occupied by profit-making people and multinational corporations who prefer profit over people. This results in the undermining of the relevance of the Vedic principle. Although the Ministry of Tourism has taken it as a tagline for promoting tourism, its real spirit is lost. From this perspective, this chapter examines the possibilities of reviving this principle and promoting it as a model of the global tourism and hospitality sector.