Foreign exchange earning from foreign tourists up

Mumbai, Apr 8: Estimated foreign exchange from the overseas tourist arrivals for the year 2005 has gone to Rs 25,172.28 crore (USD 5,730.86 million), an increase of 16.5 per cent over the earnings in 2004, according to the annual report of the Ministry of Tourism 2005-06.

The report states that foreign tourist arrival in 2005 has registered a growth of 13.2 per cent compared to 2004 with a total of over 3.95 million tourists visiting India that year, maximum arrivals were during November-December, 2005.

The report lists various initiatives taken to promote tourism, both domestic and foreign, which include improving effiency at India tourism tourism offices and ministry head quarters, information centres and facilities.

In addition content integration, image/photo gallery and destination special were taken across portals to enhance the ''Colours of India'' campaign.

A fresh campaign during October, 2005, to March, 2006, across major portals and travel sites (domestic and international) was expected to deliver more than 593 milion impression on various products of India.

The sites had been chosen based on relvancy and past performance.

Innovative unit contests and other forms of digital media have been considered to break through the clutter and reach the target audience.

As a result, the site page views increased by almost 117 per cent (from 11.2 million in September, 2005, to 24.3 million in Janaury, 2006). There has been approximately 40 per cent increase in site visit from 410,000 in September, 2005, to 660,000 in January this year.

UNI