(a) whether there is a decline in foreign tourists due to ongoing gulf war;
(b) if so, whether this war would adversely affect the tourism industry;
(c) if so, the details alongwith present assessment in this regard; and
(d) the strategy formulated by the Government to attract foreign tourists?
MINISTER OF TOURISM AND CULTURE (SHRI JAGMOHAN)
(a), (b), (c), and (d): A statement is laid on the Table of Sabha.
STATEMENT IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No 438 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21-4-2003 REGARDING GULF WAR IMPACT ON TOURISM.
(a), (b) and (c): The foreign tourist arrival to the country in the month of March 2003 when the gulf war was on is estimated to be around 2.20 lakhs which shows a growth of 1.6% as compared to the tourist arrivals in the month of March 2002. With the revival trend in the tourist arrival set in with effect from October 2002, the average growth rate for the period October 2002 to February 2003 is estimated to be 15.5%. The meager growth rate of 1.6% in the month of March as compared to the average growth rate of 15.5% in the previous five months indicates that the gulf war has affected the tourist arrival to the country to some extent.
(d): The Department of Tourism, Govt. of India has the following short-term and long-term plans to make tourism more attractive and thereby attracting more foreign tourists:
? Positioning and maintaining tourism development as a National priority activity; ? Enhancing and maintaining the competitiveness of India as a tourism destination; ? Improving India’s existing tourism products and expanding these to meet new market requirements; ? Creation of world class infrastructure; ? Developing sustained and effective market plans and programmes; ? Special thrust to rural and small segment tourism; ? Attention to civilizational issues and issues pertaining to civic administration, good governance and also of social and cultural values; and ? Development of tourism circuits and tourism-cum-cultural hubs.