India braces to receive 1.1 billion tourists in 3 years
Updated: Jan 09, 2015 12:32:07pm
Gandhinagar, Jan 9 (KNN) Union Minister of State for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma has said that India receives about 7 million foreign tourists annually with a target to get one per cent share of the global tourist arrivals which is around 1.1 billion in three years.
Addressing the plenary session of the Pravasi Barati Diwas in Gandhinagar on Thursday, the minister said tourism is one of the most important socio economic activities globally and it is very relevant for India’s economy also.
An investment of Rs 10 lakhs generates 18 jobs in agriculture, 45 jobs in manufacturing and 78 jobs in tourism sector, so tourism has to be an important component of socio-economic development of the country, he added.
Sharma said the Union Government has introduced Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for 43 countries on November 27, 2014. These countries covered around 42 per cent of the source market for Indian tourism at the world level.
Further, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been requested to include China, UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy also in the list of ETA countries. They will bring in 20 per cent of world tourism market for India, he added.
The minister said that in the last five weeks the total number of visas issued on line has crossed the figure of 22,179.
Government has announced two more schemes for development of tourism infrastructure titled ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation (PRASAD) and also another Rs 500 crores have been provided for development of 5 Integrated Circuits, the minister added. (KNN/ST)
Addressing the plenary session of the Pravasi Barati Diwas in Gandhinagar on Thursday, the minister said tourism is one of the most important socio economic activities globally and it is very relevant for India’s economy also.
An investment of Rs 10 lakhs generates 18 jobs in agriculture, 45 jobs in manufacturing and 78 jobs in tourism sector, so tourism has to be an important component of socio-economic development of the country, he added.
Sharma said the Union Government has introduced Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for 43 countries on November 27, 2014. These countries covered around 42 per cent of the source market for Indian tourism at the world level.
Further, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been requested to include China, UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy also in the list of ETA countries. They will bring in 20 per cent of world tourism market for India, he added.
The minister said that in the last five weeks the total number of visas issued on line has crossed the figure of 22,179.
Government has announced two more schemes for development of tourism infrastructure titled ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation (PRASAD) and also another Rs 500 crores have been provided for development of 5 Integrated Circuits, the minister added. (KNN/ST)
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