The Minister of State in the Indian Ministry of Tourism Shri Sultan Ahmed has said that the estimated number of foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India during the last six months, i.e. May-October 2009, is 2.19 million, which is 2.4% less than the FTAs during the corresponding period of 2008. The decline in FTAs in recent months may be due to various reasons including H1N1 pandemic, global slowdown, etc.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today Sultan Ahmed said, the steps taken by the Government to make India an attractive tourist destination include: -
- Development of infrastructure at tourist sites with the cooperation of other Ministries/Departments and State/UT Governments;
- Focusing on growth of hotel infrastructure, particularly that for budget hotels;
- Enhancing connectivity through augmentation of air seat capacity and improving road infrastructure at major tourist destinations;
- Launching social awareness campaigns like ‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’; and
- Increasing availability of skilled manpower for the hospitality sector.