Question : Promotion of India as a Tourist Destination

(a) the names of States which attracted the maximum number of foreign tourists during the last three years & the current year;
(b) whether the Department of Tourism, Government of India carries out tourism promotion activities overseas through its foreign offices and if so, the details thereof and the progress achieved during each of the last three years;
(c) whether the Government has promoted the country as a tourist destination at world level through their centres and offices in the foreign countries and if so, the details of the foreign offices/centres and the amount spent on each such office during the last three years, year-wise and office-wise; and
(d) whether the schemes implemented by the Union Government has been able to attract foreign tourist and if so, the benefits derived from the said schemes to the tourism sector?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)
(SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a): On the basis of information received from State Governments/ UTs, Ministry of Tourism compiles yearly data on domestic and foreign tourist visits to States/ UTs with time a time lag of one year, hence, data for year 2020 is not yet complied. However, the names of States/UTs with the highest number of foreign tourists visits during 2017 to 2019 are given below:
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Year Name of State/UT
2017 Tamil Nadu
2018 Tamil Nadu
2019 Maharashtra
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(b) & (c): The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India through its existing eight India Tourism Offices located in Beijing, Dubai, Frankfurt, London, New York, Singapore, Tokyo and Paris (to be shifted to Moscow) carries out tourism promotional activities that includes, advertising in Print, Electronic, Online and Outdoor Media, participation in international Fairs & Exhibitions, organising Know India Seminars, Workshops, Road Shows and India Evenings, Brochure Support, Joint Advertising with Travel Agents / Tour Operators, organising and supporting Indian Food and cultural festivals, publication of brochures and inviting tour operators, media personalities, opinion makers etc. to visit India under the Hospitality Programme of the Ministry for promotion of tourism to the country.

The details of the foreign offices/centres and the amount spent on each such office during the last three years, year-wise and office-wise are at Annexure.

(d): The Ministry of Tourism under the Overseas Promotion and Publicity (OPP) Scheme promotes India with the objective of increasing the visibility of India''s tourism products and destinations in the overseas markets and to promote India as a preferred tourist destination vis-à-vis other competing destinations.

Due to sustained promotion of tourism to India from the overseas markets the Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) and the Foreign Exchange Earning (FEE) are growing steadily. Details of Foreign Tourists Arrivals (FTAs) to India and Foreign Exchange Earning (FEE) through tourism during 2017, 2018 and 2019 are as under:
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Year FTA (In Million) FEE (In INR Cr.)
2017 10.04 (14.0%) 177874 (15.4%)
2018 10.56 (5.2%) 194881 (9.6%)
2019 10.93 (3.5%) 211661 (8.6%)
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Figures in bracket shows Annual growth over previous year

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