KOLKATA: The foreign exchange earning from tourism has gone up by 4.6 percent in comparison with the last year, Union Tourism Minister Shripad Yasso Naik said here today hoping that measures like tourist visa on arrival and electronic travel authorization would considerably contribute to the earnings.
“Foreign exchange earning from tourism during January to August 2014 was USD 12.739 billion with a growth of 4.6 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2013,” Naik said at a function here.
Stating that tourism was a key sector which could contribute to India’s recovery and valuable foreign exchange earnings, he said several initiatives like infrastructure development, publicity, promotion and marketing among others have been taken by the ministry.
“These efforts will be complemented by a radical change in our approach to facilities through our proposed Tourist Visa on Arrival enabled with Electronic Travel Authorization which will soon be a reality,” he said.
“I am very optimistic, these measures will start working,” the minister said.
Foreign tourist arrivals in India during January to August 2014 were 46.84 lakh with a growth of 7.4 per cent, as compared to 43.60 arrivals with a growth of 4.9 per cent during corresponding period in 2013, Naik said.
“The high growth rate continues with 9.2 per cent growth in foreign tourist arrival and 18.2 per cent in foreign exchange earnings in September, 2014,” the minister said. –PTI
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