Over 9% growth in foreign tourist arrivals

New Delhi

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) to India witnessed a jump of over nine per cent in May this year over the same period in 2014, while Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) in INR terms registered a whopping hike of 23.6 per cent, government today said.

At least 5.11 lakh footfalls were recorded in May this year as compared to 4.68 lakh in May last year, registering a growth of 9.2 per cent. The numbers for the same month in 2013 was 4.17 lakh, a government statement said today.

FTAs during the period January-May 2015 were 33.32 lakh with a growth of 3.6 per cent, as compared to the FTAs of 32.15 lakh in January-May 2014, it added.

The percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India in May 2015, among the top 15 source countries, was highest from Bangladesh (19.32 pc), followed by USA (16.99 pc), UK (7.79 pc), Malaysia (3.59 pc), Sri Lanka (3.54 pc), Japan (2.78 pc), Australia (2.66 pc), Canada (2.63 pc), Germany (2.59 pc), China (2.56 pc), Nepal (2.52 pc), Singapore (2.36 pc), France (2.16 pc), Pakistan (1.84 pc), and Oman (1.66 pc).

These top 15 countries account for 74.99 per cent of the total FTAs during May 2015, the statement added.

FEE during the month of May 2015 were Rs 8,877 crore as compared to Rs 7,184 crore in May 2014 and Rs 6,627 crore in May 2013.

The growth rate in FEEs in rupee terms during May 2015 over May 2014 was 23.6 per cent as compared to 8.4 per cent in May 2014 over May 2013.

FEE from tourism in January-May 2015 period was Rs 51,351 crore growing by 6.3 per cent over the same period in the last year when it was of Rs 48,302 crore and had grown by 8.7 per cent over the corresponding period in the year previous to it.

“FEEs from tourism in USD terms during January-May 2015 were USD 8.207 billion with a growth of 4 per cent as compared to the USD 7.894 billion with a decline of 3.5 per cent during January-May 2014 over January-May 2013,” the statement said.

The Ministry of Tourism compiles monthly estimates of FTAs on the basis of nationality-wise, port-wise data received from Bureau of Immigration (BOI) and FEEs from tourism on the basis of data available from Reserve Bank of India.

PTI