Growth in foreign tourist arrival registers sharp decline

New Delhi, June 8 (UNI) The growth of foreign tourists arrival has slipped to a single digit for the second consecutive month in May this year -- a sharp decline from an average of 13-15 per cent in the last five years of tourism boom.

The growth in tourist arrival was just five per cent in May this year.

This is said to be the lowest growth ever recorded since 2002 when the India Tourism launched the "Incredible India" campaign world wide to attract more tourists.

The decline in tourist arrival actually started in the month of April this year when the growth slipped to a single digit of eight per cent over the corresponding period last year.

In April 2006, tourist arrivals had jumped 24.7 per cent, one of the highest recorded in recent years. The month of May in 2006 also registered a growth of 14.7 per cent.

The tourism ministry is at a loss to explain the reason for the dip, except saying that this may be due to the advent of early summer and the resultant high temperature touching up to 43 degree celsius.

In fact, the growth in foreign tourist arrival in February and March this year were 13.6 per cent each as against 10.1 per cent and 11 per cent respectively in the previous year.

However, the overall growth in the first five months of the current year was 12 per cent as against 14.5 per cent during the corresponding period last year.

Under the impact of the high-voltage "Incredible India campaign," which was launched five years ago, India tourism has been recording an annual growth of 13 to 15 per cent in foreign tourist arrival.

The growth in foreign exchange earning also went down to 11 per cent in May this year as against 15.2 per cent in the same month last year.

The same was the case with April this year when foreign exchange earning registered a growth of just 10 per cent as against 28.9 per cent last year.

India has been spending crores of rupees for advertisements on international television channels, travel magazines and websites to woo more foreign tourists every year.

"We will study the reasons for the dip in the growth of tourist arrival in April and May and take corrective measures, including launch of vigorous campaign in foreign countries," a top tourism ministry official said, adding that : "prima facie we don't think there is anything to worry." UNI SH VD KP1823