Author: Vivek V Kumar (MD, Lexicon World) is a marketing communications leader who has helped 100s of organisation enhance their reputation and bolster their sales with real world changes and messaging
How fixing the “Tourist Experience” actually fixes the city for the rest of us.
We’ve all seen it. A foreign traveller standing on a corner, looking confused at a map while dodging a chaotic swarm of honking rickshaws. Or a family from a neighbouring state trying to find a clean public toilet near a world-famous temple, only to be met with a “closed” sign and a shrug.
In India, we say Atithi Devo Bhava—the guest is God. But let’s be honest: our cities often treat that “God” to a marathon of scams, dust, and confusion.
It’s time to stop managing tourism like a government department and start managing it like a world-class experience. It’s time for the Tourist Happiness CEO.
What Exactly is a Tourist Happiness CEO?
Think of this person as the “Chief Fixer.” Right now, if a tourist has a bad experience, who do they tell? The Police? The Municipality? The Tourism Board? Usually, they just go home and tell their friends, “Don't go there.”
the Happiness CEO is the single point of accountability. Their job isn't to sit in an office; it’s to ensure that the moment a visitor enters the city limits, they feel safe, respected, and excited.
The “Power Tools” to Get the Job Done
To make a city “happy,” you can’t just ask nicely. You need authority. The Happiness CEO would have the power to:
Command the Cleanup: They can order immediate repairs on tourist routes without waiting for months of paperwork.
Crack Down on Scams: They have the power to “blacklist” or fine shops and touts who harass visitors, making the streets safer for everyone.
Own the Budget: A dedicated “Happiness Fund” to build the things we actually need – cleaner parks, better lighting, and digital maps that actually work.
“What’s In It For Me?” (The City Dweller's Bonus)
Here is the secret: A city that is good for a tourist is a dream for a resident.
When a Happiness CEO fixes the sidewalks for a traveller, your grandmother can walk safely to the market. When they install better street lighting to prevent crime against tourists, your neighbourhood becomes safer at night.
The Real “ROI” (The Payoff):
More Local Jobs: Happy tourists stay three days instead of one. They spend more on local food, local crafts, and local taxis. That’s more money in the pockets of your neighbours.
Cleaner Air and Streets: A “Happiness City” can’t be a filthy city. The CEO’s push for cleanliness benefits your lungs and your kids' playgrounds.
City Pride: There is a special kind of “ROI” in seeing your hometown trend on social media for being beautiful and welcoming, rather than for its traffic jams.
The Bottom Line
We have the monuments. We have the history. We have the food. But we are losing the “Happiness Race” to cities that simply make life easier for the traveller.
Vesting power in a Tourist Happiness CEO isn't just a favour to visitors. It’s a smart, profitable way to force our cities to finally work the way they were supposed to—for everyone.
