Tag Archives: Foreign Tourist Arrivals

As many as 201,333 foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India on Medical Visa were recorded in 2016, while there were 1,34,344 FTAs in 2015 and 75,688 FTAs in 2014. This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge) in a written reply in Rajya Sabha. In order to simplify and speed up the procedure of obtaining Visa for tourists coming to India for medical purposes, the Government of India has extended the facility of e-Medical Visa. Other measures taken by the Government to facilitate the tourists coming through e- Medical Visa are: Extension of duration of stay for upto 6 months may be granted on case to case basis on merits of each case by the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO)/Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) concerned. Triple entry will be permitted as against single entry earlier. In case of emergency, if Medical Visa is recommended by an accredited hospital in India, Indian Missions/Posts abroad should decide on such request within 48 hours of getting the application.

The number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals in February 2017 was 9.56 lakh as compared to FTAs of 8.47 lakh in February, 2016 registering a growth rate of 13.0 per cent in comparison to the previous year. The highest arrival numbers were from Bangladesh (17.46%) followed by UK (12.20%), USA (11.83%), Russian Fed. (4.29%) and Canada (4.26%). Delhi Airport received the most number of FTAs (31.86%) followed by Mumbai Airport (16.10%), Haridaspur Land checkpost (9.44%), Chennai Airport (6.72%) and Goa Airport (5.58%). FTAs during the period January- February 2017 were 19.40 lakh with a growth of 14.7 per cent, as compared to the FTAs of 16.91 lakh in January- February 2016.

According to statistics revealed by Ministry of Tourism, a double digit growth rate of 16.5% in Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) has been witnessed correspondingly in the month of January 2017 over January 2016. This was much higher than the growth rate of 6.8% in Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) observed in January 2016 over January 2015.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during October, 2016 were 7.54 lakh as compared to FTAs of 6.83 lakh during October, 2015 and 6.68 lakh in October, 2014. There has been a growth of 10.4% in October, 2016 over October, 2015. FTAs during the period January-October, 2016 were 69.62 lakh with a growth of 10.5% as compared to the FTAs of 62.98 lakh with a growth of 4.5% in January- October, 2015 over January- October, 2014. The Percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during October, 2016 among the top 15 source countries was highest from Bangladesh (16.67%) followed by  USA (12.83%), UK (11.03%), Canada (3.73%), Australia (3.50%), Sri Lanka (3.45%),  Germany (3.38%), Russian Fed (3.20%), France (2.91%), China (2.70%), Malaysia (2.65%),  Nepal (2.16%), Japan (2.12%), Singapore (1.54%) and Thailand (1.44%). The Percentage share of  Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during October 2016 among the top 15 ports was highest at Delhi Airport (34.06%) followed by Mumbai Airport (15.69%), Haridaspur Land check post (9.22%), Chennai Airport (7.19%),  Bengaluru Airport (5.50%), Kolkata Airport (4.10%), Hyderabad Airport (3.01%),  Goa (2.90%), Cochin Airport (2.72%), Ahmadabad Airport (2.14%), Gede Rail (1.86%), Amritsar Airport (1.71%), Trivandrum Airport (1.28%), Ghojadanga land check post (1.16%) and Gaya Airport  (1.03%). Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from Tourism in India during October, 2016 were Rs. 12,303 crore as compared to Rs. 10,549 crore in October, 2015 and Rs. 10,041 crore in October, 2014.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) grew by 13.4 per cent in September 2016 over the same period last year. Bangladesh accounts for highest share of tourist arrivals followed by USA and the UK in September. Rs. 11. 781 crore foreign exchange was earned through tourism during the month. FTAs during September 2016 were 6.15 lakh as compared to FTAs of 5.42 lakh during the same period last year and 5.09 lakh in September 2014. FTAs from January-September 2016 were 62.07 lakh with a growth of 10.5% as compared to the FTAs of 56.15 lakh with a growth of 4.8 per cent in January-September, 2015 over January-September 2014. The Percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during September, 2016 among the top 15 source countries was highest from Bangladesh (20.58%) followed by  USA (10.96%), UK (7.97%), Malaysia (4.98%), Sri Lanka (3.98%), Australia (3.47%), China (3.36%), Germany (2.83%), Japan (2.79%), Canada (2.58%), Nepal (2.16%), France (2.15%), Singapore (2.08%), Afghanistan (1.57%) and Pakistan (1.36%). The Percentage share of  Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during September 2016 among the top 15 ports was highest at Delhi Airport (30.99%) followed by Mumbai Airport (16.28%), Haridaspur Land check post (11.62%), Chennai Airport (8.30%),  Bengaluru Airport (6.01%), Kolkata Airport (4.43%), Cochin Airport (3.22%), Hyderabad Airport (3.01%), Gede Rail (2.28%), Tiruchirapalli Airport (1.99%), Ahmadabad Airport (1.72%),Trivandrum Airport (1.49%), Ghojadanga land check post (1.29%), Amritsar Airport (1.01%) and Attari-Wagh Land check post (0.99%).

Foreign tourist arrivals (FTA) during August 2016 were 6.70 lakh as compared to 5.99 lakh FTAs in August 2015, registering a growth of 11.8 per cent over the same month the previous year. A sum of Rs.12,903 crore foreign exchange was earned through tourism in August 2016 as compared to Rs. 11,411 crore in August, 2015 corresponding to a growth rate of 13.1 per cent in August 2016 over August 2015. FTAs during the period January- August, 2016 were 55.92 lakh as compared to the 50.73 lakh FTAs during the same period in 2015 corresponding to a growth of 10.2 per cent. FEE from tourism during January-August, 2016 was recorded at Rs. 1,00,287 crore with a growth of 14.7 per cent. The percentage share of FTAs amongst the top five source countries was highest from Bangladesh (16.61 per cent) followed by  USA (12.59 per cent), UK (10.57 per cent), Sri Lanka (5.92 per cent) and Malaysia (3.41 per cent) while the percentage share of FTAs amongst top five ports was highest at Delhi Airport with 28.38 per cent followed by Mumbai Airport (17.32 per cent), Chennai Airport (10.17 per cent),  Haridaspur Land check post (9.10 per cent) and Bengaluru Airport (6.83 per cent)

Foreign Tourist Arrivals during the July, 2016, were 7.36 lakh as compared to FTAs of 6.28 lakh during the same period last year registering a growth of 17.1 per cent over the same month the previous year. A sum of Rs.14, 319 crore foreign exchange was earned through tourism in July 2016. FTAs during the period January- July, 2016 were 49.22 lakh with a growth of 10.0 per cent as compared to the FTAs of 44.73 lakh with a growth of 4.6% in January- July, 2015. FEEs from tourism during the same period were Rs. 87,384 crore with a growth of 15.0 per cent. The top five countries with the maximum share in FTAs for July include Bangladesh (17.30%) followed by USA (16.51%), UK (11.67%), Malaysia (3.49%)and France (3.12%) while the Percentage share of FTAs among the top 5 ports was highest at Delhi Airport (26.22%) followed by Mumbai Airport (17.04%), Chennai Airport (10.11%), Haridaspur Land check post (9.82%) and Bengaluru Airport (7.31%).

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during the month of June 2016 were 5.50 lakh as compared to FTAs of 5.12 lakh during the month of June 2015, registering a growth of 7.3 per cent. FTAs during the period January-June 2016 were 41.86 lakh with a growth of 8.9 per cent as compared to the FTAs of 38.45 lakh with a growth of 3.7 per cent in January-June, 2015 over the same period in the previous year. The percentage share of FTAs in India among the top five source countries was highest from USA (22.20%), followed by Bangladesh (20.69%), UK (6.84%), Malaysia (3.90%) and Sri Lanka (3.20%). While Delhi Airport (24.69%) recorded the highest share in FTAs, Mumbai Airport (16.76%), Haridaspur Land check post (11.99%), Chennai Airport (10.90%) and Bengaluru Airport (7.74%) followed after. With Rs 10,732 crore, FEEs for June also saw an increase of 12.2 per cent over the same month in 2015. FEEs from tourism in rupee terms during January- June, 2016 were Rs 73,065 crore with a growth of 14.1 per cent as compared to the FEE of Rs 64,035 crore with a growth of 8.3 per cent during January- June, 2015 over January- June, 2014.

FTAs during the period January-May, 2016, were 36.36 lakh with a growth of 9.1% as compared to the FTAs of 33.32 lakh with a growth of 4.0% in January- May, 2015 over January- May, 2014. 3.7% growth has been recorded in Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in May 2016 over the same period in 2015, according to data released by Ministry of Tourism. Bangladesh accounts for highest share of tourist arrivals followed by USA and UK in April 2016. Rs.10, 285 crores Foreign Exchange earned through tourism in May 2016. FTAs during the Month of May, 2016 were 5.29 lakh as compared to FTAs of 5.1 lakh during the month of May, 2015 and 4.65 lakh in May, 2014. Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) during the month of May, 2016 were Rs.10,285 crore as compared to Rs.9,505 crore in May, 2015 and Rs. 7,936 crore in May, 2014. FEEs from tourism in rupee terms during January- May 2016 were Rs. 62,333 crore with a growth of 14.4% as compared to the FEE of Rs. 54,471 crore with a growth of 7.3% during January- May, 2015 over January- May, 2014.

The share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India in the International Tourist Arrivals around the world during 2015 was 0.68 per cent. Union Minister of State for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma had said that India is poised to receive one per cent of global tourists in three years. Initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism in the recent past for development and promotion of tourism and attract more tourists in the country are e-Tourist Visa (eTV), publicity and promoting India as a holistic destination in the international markets, participation in travel fairs and exhibitions; organising roadshows, Know India seminars & workshops; organizing and supporting Indian food and cultural festivals; publication of brochures, offering joint advertising and brochure support, and inviting media personalities, tour operators and opinion makers to visit the country under the Hospitality programme of the Ministry. This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Civil Aviation in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.