Foreign tourist arrivals in India up 12.9 per cent in March

Foreign exchange earnings from tourist arrivals in the country stood at 4.72 lakh in March 2010 compared with 4.18 lakh in March 2009 and 4.80 lakh in March 2008, of figures compiled by the ministry of tourism from data received from major airports showed.

This represents a 12.9 per cent growth year-on-year in March 2010 over March 2009 and a negative growth of 12.9 per cent in March 2009 over March 2008.

The 12.9 per cent growth rate in tourist inflow during March 2010 is also higher compared to the 9.9 per cent growth observed in February 2010.

For the January-March quarter of the 2009-10 financial year, there was a 12.8 per cent growth in foreign tourist arrivals in the country at 15.63 lakh, compared with 13.86 lakh in the similar quarter of the previous fiscal.

The January-March 2009 figure was, however, represented a negative growth rate of 13.5 per cent over the corresponding period of 2008.

Foreign exchange earnings from tourism in Indian rupee terms was up 24.1 per cent at Rs5,507 crore during March 2010 against a negative growth of 11.9 per cent at Rs4,437 crore in March 2009 compared with Rs5,035 crore in March 2008.

In dollar terms, foreign exchange earnings during March 2010 rose 39.4 per cent to $1.209 billion against a 30.5 per cent decline to $867 million in March 2009 from $1.248 billion in March 2008.