(a) whether there has been any improvement in the arrival of tourists in the recent past;
(b) if so, the number of tourists visited India during the current year;
(c) whether records of leading hotels, airports and tourist spots have shown that foreign
tourist feel safe in India since June, 2002 onwards;
(d) if so, the extent to which the tourist arrivals have picked up since then; and
(e) the facilities and the steps being taken by the Union Government to attract more
foreign tourists?
MINISTER OF TOURISM AND CULTURE (SHRI JAGMOHAN)
(a): There has been a positive growth of 16.8 per cent in foreign tourist arrivals in the
month of October, 2002 as compared to October 2001.
(b): The number of foreign tourists who visited India during the period January to October
2002 is 1.83 million.
(c): According to a survey report released in the month of June 2002 by the Hotel
Association of India, majority of the tourist did not perceive any threat to their safety &
security and preferred air travel in India only on account of safety.
(d): The tourist arrivals are estimated to have increased from 143100 in June 2002 to 212191
in October 2002.
(e): The Department of Tourism has the following short-term and long-term plans to make
tourism more attractive and thereby attracting more foreign tourists in the country:-
? 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 civilisational issues and issues pertaining to civil administration good governance and also of social and cultural values. ? Development of tourism circuits and improvement of wayside amenities to facilitate growth in domestic tourism.