Foreign tourist arrivals in India touches 1 crore in 2017; record earnings of $27 billion

India registered a record growth with foreign tourist arrivals touching 1 crore, taking up the earnings to $27 billion. Tourism Minister KJ Alphons said, “I think our sector is doing very well. But I am happy with the numbers. I want these numbers to increase dramatically because India is an incredible place and we have everything for everybody. So we are trying to bring in a lot more people.”

With this development, the India tourism sector has managed to contribute 6.88 percent to India’s GDP, and if its contribution in the total employment figures 2017 are anything to go by, it had 12 percent of share. These numbers have eventually helped India to boost its ranking on the Tourism Competitiveness Index of 2017. In 2013, when it managed to secure 65th position, in 2107, India climbed to 40th position.

As per ministry officials, the success behind this growth can be attributed to the government’s initiative under the Swadesh Darshan scheme, in which theme-based promotions, infrastructure and developing religious circuits were the main agenda. A ministry official further stated, “11 projects have been sanctioned under this theme in 2017-18 alone, taking the total to up to 67 projects. The plan is for holistic development of pilgrimage destinations, the Buddhist circuit being a case in point.”
To also promote Northeast India and boost tourism, the government is now ‘Looking East.’ Also to introduce new models of tourism, the ministry has introduced the golf courses of India in the ‘Incredible India’ campaign along with the heritage monuments.