Foreign tourist arrival goes up in 2008

New Delhi, Jun 10 (UNI) More than 2.31 million foreign tourists visited India in the first five months of this year, registering an increase of 11.5 per cent in the inbound tourist arrival.

The month of March registered the highest of 14.8 per cent growth in the tourist arrival with May registering the lowest of 8.6 per cent during the year.

The foreign tourist arrival has been registering a growth of 12 to 15 per cent every year since 2003, when the Tourism Ministry launched its high voltage "Incredible India" campaign.

The Foreign Exchange Earnings during the five months totalled Rs 21,963 crore, registering a growth of 16.1 per cent over the corresponding period last year.

While the month of March recorded the highest of 24.6 per cent growth in foreign exchange earnings, it was the lowest in May with an increase of just 4.9 per cent over the corresponding period last year.

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