The Union Tourism Ministry expects the number of inbound tourists to touch the 20-million mark in the next few years, given the "rapid development in infrastructure and the growing interest about India" among foreigners, an official said here today.
The 2017-18 fiscal has been "exceptionally good" for the country in terms of foreign tourist arrival, Suman Billa, the joint secretary of Union Ministry of Tourism, said at the inauguration of 11th Convention India Conclave at New Town.
"We are extremely enthused to have crossed the 10-million mark in foreign tourist arrival in the last fiscal and hope to reach the 20-million mark in another few years," Billa stated.
India has seen a 14 per cent rise in foreign tourist arrival in 2017-18 when compared to the year before, while in terms of revenue, the increase has been 20 per cent, he maintained.
"The country has earned Rs 1,77,000 crore in 2017-18 in terms of foreign exchange earnings through tourism."
"They flatten the seasonality of tourist arrival as the meetings usually take place in off-peak seasons," he said
West Bengal principal secretary, Home and Tourism, Atri Bhattacharya, said that the new convention centre is "not just the best in India but also in this part of Asia."
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