By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JUNE 21, 2014: THE policy efforts and other measures to attract foreign tourists to India seem to be showing some postive resutls. In the month of May this year, India received 4.21 lakh Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) as compared to 3.84 lakh in May 2013 and 3.74 in 2012.

FTAs during the period January-May 2014 were 30.52 lakh with a growth of 6.6%, as compared to the FTAs of 28.63 lakh with a growth of 2.6% during  January-May 2013 over the corresponding period of 2012.

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from Tourism in Indian rupee terms and US$ terms

• FEEs during the month of May 2014 were Rs 7,403 crore as compared to Rs 6,092 crore in May 2013 and Rs 5,562 crore in April 2012.

• The growth rate in FEEs in rupee terms in May 2014 over May 2013 was 21.5% as compared to 9.5% in May 2013 over May 2012.
  
  
• FEE from tourism in rupee terms during January-May 2014 were Rs 49,121 crore with a growth of 12.6%, as compared to the FEE of Rs 43,614 crore with a growth of 17.0% during  January-May 2013 over the corresponding period of 2012.

• FEEs in US$ terms during the month of May 2014 were US$ 1.247 billion as compared to FEEs of US$ 1.109 billion during the month of May 2013 and US$ 1.023 billion in May  2012.
  
  
• The growth rate in FEEs in US$ terms in May 2014 over May 2013 was growth of 12.4% as compared to the growth of 8.4% in  May 2013 over May  2012.
  
  
• FEE from tourism in terms of US$ during January-May 2014 were US$ 8.030 billion which remained the same as that of January-May 2013, registering a growth of 10.0% over the corresponding period of 2012.

As facilitative measure to attract more foreign tourists to India, the Government launched the "Visa on Arrival" (VoA) Scheme in January 2010 for citizens of five countries, viz. Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore, visiting India for tourism purposes. The Government extended this Scheme to the citizens of six more countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar in January 2011. Recently Govt of India has extended Visa on Arrival (VoA) Scheme for South Korea for which Ministry has started receiving data w.e.f 15 th April 2014. The following are the important highlights of VoAs issued during May, 2014.

(i) During the month of May 2014, a total of 1,833 VoAs were issued under this Scheme as compared to 1,114 VoAs during the month of May 2013, registering a growth of 64.5%.

(ii) During January-May 2014, a total number of 9,841 VoAs were issued as compared to 8,266 VoA during corresponding period of 2013 registering a growth of 19.1%.

(iii) The number of VoAs issued under this scheme during May 2014 for nationals of the twelve countries were S.Korea (369), Japan (329), Singapore (286), the Philippines (274), New Zealand (239), Indonesia (195), Finland (83), Myanmar (26), Vietnam (18), Cambodia (11) Luxembourg (3) and Laos (0).

(iv) The number of VoAs issued under the Scheme, during January-May 2014 were Japan (2,303), New Zealand (1,866), the Philippines (1,461), Indonesia (1,375), Singapore (1,315), S.Korea (562), Finland (549), Myanmar (190), Vietnam (96), Luxembourg (61), Cambodia (58) and Laos (5).

(v) During January-May 2014, the highest number of VoAs were issued at New Delhi airport (4,711) followed by Mumbai (2,001), Chennai (1,249), Bangalore (620),Kolkata (610), Kochi (293), Hyderabad (258) and Trivandrum (99).