Question : INFLOW OF FOREIGN TOURIST FROM WESTERN EUROPE

MINISTER OF TOURISM AND CULTURE ( SHRI ANANTHKUMAR)


(a), (b), (c) and (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of Sabha.

STATEMENT IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No.276 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15-3-2001 REGARDING INFLOW OF FOREIGN TOURIST FROM WESTERN EUROPE

(a): The foreign exchange earning from the export of software has over taken that from tourism in 1999-2000 as indicated in the following table:

Foreign Exchange Earnings

(In Million US $) 
1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000
Tourism 2914	2993	3036
Software Export 1760	2626	4015

(b): Country-wise tourist arrival figures for the year 2000 are available upto September only. There has been a decline of 2.1 per cent in tourist arrivals during the year 2000 (January – September) from Western Europe as compared to the same period of the previous year. However, there has been an over all growth of 6.4 per cent in the foreign tourist arrivals into the country in the year 2000 as compared to 1999.

(c): Decline in tourist arrivals from Western Europe to India may be due to the preference of the tourists from that part of the world for other destinations in Europe, U.S.A. and Asia Pacific regions.

(d): Development of Tourism is a continuous process. Various measures taken to attract foreign tourists to India include development and improvement of tourist facilities, publicity and marketing efforts in the foreign countries through overseas tourist offices, strengthening institutions of human resources development, use of information technology and encouraging private investment in tourism sector including hotels.

Government of India Tourist Offices in Western Europe are engaged in many promotional activities to attract more tourists to India. which include advertising in print media and on internet, brochure support, joint promotion, direct marketing, participating in travel fairs, etc.