India

A primary and secondary research was carried out on the impact of the Art of Living's mega event - the World Culture Festival. Data from government departments (Department of Tourism, Department of Economic Affairs) was studied to understand the impact of the event which revealed:

$42 million was earned during the WCF by the international tourism sector alone

21 percent of foreign exchange earning of Delhi for March was during WCF

1 out of every 6 tourists in Delhi had come to attend WCF in March

1 out of every 8 tourists in Karnataka for March had come to attend the WCF

9.8 percent increase for March in foreign exchange earnings- Highest for the year

12% increase in international tourism, the highest year on year growth in the month of March

32 diplomats including heads of states, key ministers from 32 countries were present at WCF

WCF had representations from G4 (75%), G20 (35%), BRICS (50%), UN (18%), IORA (29%), ACD (50%), and SAARC (75%)

2500- WCF was witness to the largest interfaith gathering of 2500 religious and spiritual leaders from Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Islam, Jain, Native American and indigenous faiths

Executive Summary

2016 has been a year of happenings for India. India witnessed the Pathankot Terror attacks, tension on India-Pak border and a slowdown in economy. Amongst all this anxiety, The Art of Living organized “one of its kind” event- World Culture Festival in Delhi.

World Culture Festival, organized by The Art of Living Foundation has not only made a huge cultural impact by bringing in performers from 155 countries on one platform but has been able to bring a lot of intangible impact as well. In this report, primary and secondary research was done. Various government department’s (Department of Tourism, Department of Economic Affairs) data was studied to understand the impact of this event. The impact on WCF has been quantified using data on the economic and diplomatic fronts.

With an aim to bring people from all cultures together and celebrate the Unity in Diversity, the event witnessed 35 lakh people from 155 countries come together for this mega cultural extravaganza on the banks of River Yamuna.

The Study

World Culture Festival not only made a huge cultural impact by bringing in representatives from 155 countries on one platform but also made a significant impact on the economy, society, environment, reviving culture and introducing people to spirituality. This report analyses the impact of WCF after completion of the event. Primary and secondary research were done and impact of The World Culture Festival has been analyzed on the economic and diplomatic fronts after the event was hosted successfully.

Assumptions

Delhi and Karnataka’s share in international tourist arrivals for 2016 was approximately at similar level as of 2015 i.e.10.2% for Delhi and 2.7% for Karnataka.

The spending trend for international tourists considered here is based on historic data trends over the past 5 years which implies that on an average that each international tourist exchanges 1,40,800 INR worth of his country’s currency to Indian Rupees.

Economic Impact

When an event of the magnitude of the World Culture Festival is organized, it boosts the economy of the state to a large extent. The economic Impact of WCF is measured by studying the following parameters for the month of March.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals

Foreign Exchange Earnings

Tourism

Forex

The impact of the International Tourism industry on Indian Economy can be quantified in terms of foreign exchange earnings (FEE). The Government data indicates that approximately 8.17 lakh foreign tourist arrived in different cities in India in the month of March. Data from the Department of Tourism for FEE has been analyzed and the summary is presented below.

Diplomatic Impact

Diplomats from 32 countries had come to WCF and all of them addressed the people through the dais in World Culture festival or the Global Leadership forum. Apart from providing a boost to economy and culture, WCF has made a huge diplomatic impact as well.

Read the impact report