India records 16.9% increase in foreign tourist arrivals

Chennai: Foreign tourist arrivals into India has grown in the last few months, with June, July and August 2014 registering 9%, 12.9% and 16.9% growth, respectively, as compared to those in the corresponding months of 2013.

This growth trend is visible in foreign exchange earnings which grew 17.4%, 19.3% and 26.8% in US dollar terms during June, July and August as compared to those in the corresponding months of 2013, according to an official statement.

The contribution of tourism to GDP and employment for the financial year 2012-13 was 6.88% and 12.36%, respectively.

The ministry of tourism has been taking measures to address concerns in areas like safe and honourable tourism and infrastructure development. It has also been investing in publicity, promotion and marketing, skill development, simplification of procedures for the classification/reclassification of hotels and restaurants, development of niche tourism products, use of technology for service delivery and market research.

The Union Budget for 2014-15 has allocated Rs 500 crore for developing five tourist circuits around specific themes and Rs 100 crore for National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenations and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD).

The government has also announced special assistance of Rs 100 crore for reconstruction of damaged tourism infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir and for other projects like integrated development of core Buddhist circuits and construction of a new passenger terminal at Mormugao, Goa Port Trust, to promote cruise tourism.

The ministry is also working on skill development and has tied up with Ecole Hotelier de Lausanne, Switzerland, for improving quality of hospitality education.

An Indian culinary institute is on the cards and sector skill councils to regulate and promote hospitality and tourism related education are being planned, according to the statement.

The ministry is also organizing a three-month tourist facilitator training course at the Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management to overcome the bottleneck of shortage of Chinese-speaking tourist guides in India.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.