Q1. [10]
(1) When planning vacations, Indians typically prioritize domestic destinations, as shown by Ministry of Tourism data indicating 1.7 billion domestic tourist visits within India compared to 21 million international departures in 2022. Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka stand out as the top states for domestic tourism. Reasons for domestic tourism are many, some travel because it suits their budget while others love to explore the historical, cultural diversity. The government today is focussing on tourist-friendly infrastructure which is making travel more convenient for the domestic traveller.
(2) In terms of outbound tourism, a significant proportion of Indian travellers, totalling 5.9 million, visited the United Arab Emirates in 2022, comprising 28 percent of total outbound tourist travel. Other Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait also rank among the top destinations, with 2.4 million, 880,000, and 830,000 Indian visitors, respectively. Additionally, countries like the United States and the United Kingdom attract a considerable number of Indian tourists because these countries offer a mix of traditional and contemporary experiences along with enjoying unique cuisines and diverse landscapes.
(3) The popularity of Gulf States and the U.S. may be influenced by migration trends. The current issue of the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) World Migration Report highlights significant migration flows from India to the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. For instance, the Emirates hosted approximately 3.6 million Indian migrants as of August 2023. Only via two corridors have more people transferred from one country to another as of 2020 according to the IOM: Mexico to the United States with around 11 million and Syria to Turkey with approximately 4 million. These migration corridors rank among the top ten globally.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions based on the above passage.
- (i) What does the use of the phrase 'prioritise domestic destinations' by the writer, in paragraph (1) imply? [1]
- (A) Indian tourists prefer places in the country itself.
- (B) Indian tourists like to stay at home.
- (C) Indian tourists mainly travel on low budgets.
- (D) Indian tourists love to hitch-hike and trek.
- (ii) Fill in the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in brackets, based on your understanding of paragraph (2). The statement that, World Migration Report highlights significant migration flows from India to the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Saudi Arabia, is a/an ________ (fact/opinion) because it is a/an __________ (subjective judgement/objective detail). [1]
- (iii) Draw a comparative analysis of domestic tourists travelling within India with domestic tourists travelling outside India in 2022. Answer in about 40 words. [2]
- (iv) Complete the following with a suitable reason. Gulf states rank as popular destinations for Indians _________. [1]
- (v) Select the option that is true for the Assertion and Reason given below:
Assertion: Indians prioritize Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh for domestic tourism.
Reason: These states are full of historical monuments. [1]
- (A) Both the Assertion and Reason are true and the Reason is the correct explanation of the Assertion.
- (B) Both the Assertion and Reason are true but the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion.
- (C) The Assertion is true, but the Reason is false.
- (D) The Assertion is false, but the Reason is true.
- (vi) Complete the sentence appropriately. The fourthmost visited outbound destination for Indians to the Gulf is _________. [1]
- (vii) Mention any two reasons for domestic tourism becoming popular. [1]
- (viii) What is the writer's view about the tourism industry in the west? Write any two points. [1]
- (ix) Identify the word in paragraph (3) that indicates the 'preference' of people travelling to the Gulf. [1]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2025 2/2/1 Q2
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:10 · grounding stimulus
Model Answer
(i) (A) Indian tourists prefer places in the country itself.
(ii) The statement is a fact because it is an objective detail.
(iii) In 2022, domestic tourist visits within India were remarkably high at 1.7 billion, whereas Indians travelling outside the country numbered only 21 million. This shows that travel within India is far more popular than international outbound tourism among Indians.
(iv) Gulf states rank as popular destinations for Indians because a large number of Indian migrants already reside there, making it convenient and familiar for tourists to visit, and migration trends significantly influence these travel choices.
(v) (B) Both the Assertion and Reason are true but the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion.
(vi) The fourth most visited outbound destination for Indians to the Gulf is Kuwait, with approximately 830,000 Indian visitors.
(vii) Two reasons for domestic tourism becoming popular:
- It suits the budget of many travellers.
- People love to explore India's historical and cultural diversity.
(viii) The writer states that western countries like the USA and UK attract Indian tourists because:
- They offer a mix of traditional and contemporary experiences.
- They provide unique cuisines and diverse landscapes.
(ix) The word that indicates the 'preference' of people travelling to the Gulf is "popularity" ("The popularity of Gulf States…").
Source: Reading Comprehension Passage — Paragraphs 1, 2, and 3
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Explanation
- (i) "Prioritise domestic destinations" simply means choosing places within the country first — option A fits directly.
- (ii) Statistics from an official report (IOM) are objective, verifiable facts — not someone's opinion.
- (iii) Use the exact figures: 1.7 billion vs 21 million. Examiners want a clear comparison in ~40 words.
- (iv) The passage links Gulf popularity to migration trends — always cite the reason from the passage, not general knowledge.
- (v) The passage lists UP and Andhra Pradesh as top states but gives multiple reasons (budget, culture, history, infrastructure) — historical monuments alone don't fully explain it, so the reason is true but not the correct/complete explanation.
- (vi) Among Gulf states: UAE (5.9 M) → Saudi Arabia (2.4 M) → Qatar (880,000) → Kuwait (830,000). Kuwait is fourth.
- (vii) Lift reasons directly from paragraph 1.
- (viii) Paragraph 2 mentions USA/UK — pick the two reasons stated there.
- (ix) Paragraph 3 opens with "The popularity of Gulf States…" — this word signals preference/liking.
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