New Delhi: Foreign Tourists Arrivals (FTAs) during the period January – March 2016 were 25.08 lakh with a growth of 10.0% as compared to the FTAs of 22.81 lakh with a growth of 3.5% in January- March 2015 over January – March 2014. FTAs during the Month of March 2016 were 8.17 lakh as compared to FTAs of 7.29 lakh during the month of March 2015 and 6.90 lakh in March 2014. There has been a growth of 12.1% in March 2016 over March 2015.
Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) during the month of March 2016 were Rs. 13,115 crore as compared to Rs. 11,133 crore in March 2015 and Rs. 10,479 crore in March 2014.
Ministry of Tourism compiles monthly estimates of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) on the basis of Nationality-wise, Port-wise data received from Bureau of Immigration (BOI) and Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism on the basis of data available from Reserve Bank of India.
Bangladesh topped the list of percentage share of foreign tourists arrivals in India during January among the top 15 source countries with 14.07 percent share followed by UK (13.16 percent), USA (11.84 percent), Germany (3.74 percent), Canada (3.57 percent), Sri Lanka (3.48 percent), Malaysia (3.45 percent), Russian Federation (3.19 percent), China (2.92 percent), France (2.92 percent), Australia (2.83 percent), Japan (2.43 percent), Nepal (1.72 percent), Singapore (1.67 percent) and Thailand (1.60 percent).
A large part of this increase in Foreign tourists arrivals can be attributed to the introduction of online visa facility that has now been extended to over 100 countries by Central government.
