Destination News

Foreign tourist arrivals into India has grown in the last few months, with June, July and August 2014 registering 9 per cent, 12.9 per cent and 16.9 per cent growth, respectively, as compared to those in the corresponding months of 2013. This growth trend is visible in foreign exchange earnings which grew 17.4 per cent, 19.3 per cent and 26.8 per cent in US dollar terms during June, July and August as compared to those in the corresponding months of 2013, according to an official statement. The contribution of tourism to GDP and employment for the financial year 2012-13 was 6.88 per cent and 12.36 per cent, respectively. The Union Budget for 2014-15 has allocated Rs 500 crore for developing five tourist circuits around specific themes and Rs 100 crore for National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenations and Spiritual Augmentation Drive(PRASAD)

The government has also announced special assistance of Rs 100 crore for reconstruction of damaged tourism infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir and for other projects like integrated development of core Buddhist circuits and construction of a new passenger terminal at Mormugao, Goa Port Trust, to promote cruise tourism. The ministry is also working on skill development and has tied up with Ecole Hotelier de Lausanne, Switzerland, for improving quality of hospitality education. An Indian culinary institute is on the cards and sector skill councils to regulate and promote hospitality and tourism related education is being planned, according to the statement. The ministry is also organizing a three-month tourist facilitator training course at the Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management to overcome the bottleneck of shortage of Chinese-speaking tourist guides in India.