14% jump in foreign tourist arrivals in India: Tourism Minister
Foreign tourist arrivals in India has seen a 14% jump in 2017 and foreign exchange earnings in the sector during the same period was Rs. 1.77 lakh crore, Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons said today. Alphons also said in the Lok Sabha that there is a shortage of two lakh rooms in the tourism sector, mostly in the mid-segment.
Over 10 million foreign tourists visited India in 2017
The Minister also said there has been a 28.8% increase in domestic tourist visits in the country between 2014 and 2017, while 20.4% jump in foreign tourist visits in the same period. As many as 10.04 million foreign tourists have visited the country in 2017 which was a growth of 14% in comparison to the previous year, Alphons said during the Question Hour.
Alphons gives details of estimated foreign exchange
Alphons also said the estimated foreign exchange earnings through tourism in India during 2015, 2016, and 2017 were Rs. 1.35 lakh crore, Rs. 1.54 lakh crore, and Rs. 1.77 lakh crore, respectively.
