India’s foreign tourist arrivals up by 8.9 % in 2011

India is emerging as a major tourist destination. The percentage of foreign tourist arrivals in India went up by 8.9% in 2011 over the previous year as compared to 4.4% worldwide. The West Asia region in the same year registered growth of 17% which shows the potential of the region.

The number of foreign tourists arriving in India in 2011 was 6.7 million and the Government has now set a target of 10 million foreign tourists’ arrival over the next three years. Last year, the tourism sector alone accounted for foreign exchange worth $16.6 billion which is nearly 17% increase over 2010. Therefore not only as a major tourist destination, but also as an important source of revenue, there is a need to upgrade the infrastructure, and create world class facilities to woo the foreign tourists in India.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2012