(a) the number of foreign tourists who visited the country during the last three years in each State/UT including Shilp Gram Utsavas;
(b) the revenue earned from foreign tourists during the last three years, year-wise;
(c) the steps taken by the Government to improve the facilities for foreign tourists;
(d) the number of Indian tourists who went abroad during the last three years; and
(e) the approximate amount of money spent by Indian Tourists on their foreign trips?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)
(a): The number of Foreign Tourist Visits (FTVs) to different States/Union Territories (UTs), including the visits to Shilp Gram Utsavas, during 2011, 2012 and 2013 are given in Anne- xure-I. This information is not available for the year 2014. Ministry of Tourism does not ma- intain information on number of FTVs to Shilp Gram Utsavas, separately.
(b): The Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) through tourism for the country as a whole during 2012, 2013 and 2014 are estimated at Rs.94,487 crores (Revised), Rs.1,07,671 crores (Revised) and Rs.1,20,083 crores (Provisional), respectively.
(c): Steps taken by the Government to improve the facilities for foreign tourists are as follows:
i. Regarding Infrastructure:
Development and promotion of tourism including creation of infrastructure is primarily the responsibility of the State Governments/Union Territory (UT) Administrations. However, the Ministry of Tourism provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to various States/ UTs for various tourism projects prioritized for every financial year in consultation with them subject to availability of funds, inter-se priority, adherence to the scheme guidelines and liquidation of pending utilization certificates against the funds released earlier. The number of projects and amount sanctioned to the States/UTs during 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 are given in Annexure-II.
ii. Electronic Travel Authorization:
The Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVoA) enabled with the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) Scheme was launched on 27.11.2014 for nationals of 43 countries whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sight- seeing, short duration me- dical treatment, casual business visit, casual visit to meet friends or relatives etc. for a short stay of 30 days. Earlier the TVoA facility was available for nationals of 12 countries only. The TVoA enabled with ETA will enable the pros- pective visitor to apply for an Indian Visa from his/her home country online without visiting the Indian Mission and also pay the visa fee online. Once approved, the applicant will receive an email authorising him/her to travel to India and he/she can travel with a print out of this authorization. On arrival, the visitor has to present the autho- risation to the immigration authorities who would then stamp the entry into the country. The entry into India will be allowed within 30 days from the date of approval of ETA and will be valid for 30 days stay in India from the date of arrival in India.
iii. Restriction on gap for re- entry lifted:
The restriction of two-month gap on re-entry of foreign nationals coming to India on Tourist Visa and Tourist Visa on Arrival has been lifted with effect from 4th December, 2012.
iv. Publicity and Promotion:
The Ministry of Tourism promotes India as a holistic destination, including the various tourism destina- tions and products of every State/Union Territory of the country, in the domestic and international markets.
As part of its promotional activities, Ministry of Tourism undertakes centralized international media campaigns (prints, electronics and online) under the Incredible India brand-line in key source mar- kets as well as potential markets across the world.
The Ministry has taken up creation, development and maintenance of Walking Tours product which is an online, interactive web product that will help national and international tourists, plan and take walking tours in all major cities in India.
The Ministry of Tourism has signed an agreement with M/s Worth Your Holidays as part of which an automated holiday planner (Tripigator.com) has been linked to the website of the Ministry of Tourism to facilitate the tourists to make itineraries.
The Ministry of Tourism also provides financial assistance to stakeholders for promotion of tourism in the international and domestic markets under the Marketing Development Assistance Scheme.
v. Cleanliness and Hygiene:
To tackle the problem of hygiene and cleanliness at tourist destinations, the Ministry of Tourism has taken the initiative of launching the Campaign Clean India with a vision to ensure an acceptable level of cleanliness and hygiene practices at tourist desti- nations. This campaign is to be sustained through adoption and involvement of private and public sector stakeholders as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
vi. Trained Language Speaking Guides:
Selection and Training of Regional Level Tourist Guides, including linguist guides, is an ongoing process and the Ministry conducts the training programmes, through the Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management
(IITTM), periodically.
vii. Safety of Women Tourists:
The Ministry of Tourism had advised the State Gover- nments/Union Territory Administrations to set up Tourist Police at prominent tourist spots. As a result, the State Governments/UT Administrations of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Mahara- shtra, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha have deployed Tourist Police, in one form or the other.
An advisory has been posted on the Ministry of Tourism website www.incredibleindia.org indicating that India remains safe destination for international Tourists including women tourists.
(d): The number of Indian Nationals departures from India during 2012, 2013 and 2014 were 14.92 million, 16.63 million and 18.33 million (Provisional), respectively.
(e): Ministry of Tourism does not compile the info- rmation on amount spent by Indian Tourists on their foreign trips.