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Foreign tourist arrivals up after post-Mumbai, meltdown decline
Foreign tourist arrivals in India declined by 10 to 17 per cent after the Mumbai attack and economic meltdown but have gradually picked up with May arrivals being almost the same as in the corresponding month last year, it was stated in Chandigarh on Monday.
Foreign tourist arrivals in India declined by 10 to 17 per cent after the Mumbai attack and economic meltdown but have gradually picked up with May arrivals being almost the same as in the corresponding month last year, it was stated in Chandigarh on Monday.
Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said foreign tourist arrivals showed an upward trend after a decline of about 10.6-17.6 per cent during January-March 2009 as compared to the first three months in the previous year.
"There had been some effect after the Mumbai terror incident(on November 26 last) and due to global economic meltdown.
However, things are looking better now. Foreign tourist arrivals have again started to pick up, with 2,95,124 of them visiting India in May, which was just 1.9 per cent less in comparison with tourist arrivals in May last year," Selja told reporters.
She said the government was also laying a lot of stress on giving a boost to domestic tourism, which was the backbone of the Indian tourism sector and added her ministry was planning to hold roadshows later this year at various places across the country to promote domestic tourism.
On the next year's Commonwealth Games, Selja said there was a requirement of an estimated 40,000 rooms and added things were on track to meet the demand.
"Out of the total requirement, about 11,000 additional rooms will be made available in Delhi and adjoining NCR areas of Haryana and UP. Further, various category of flats of the Delhi Development Authority, including those in Jasola and Vasant Kunj are being converted into 5,500 rooms of 3-star category to be used for CWG-2010 visitors," she said.
