India has registered 18.1% growth in Foreign Tourist Arrivals in October, 2017 over the same period last year. Rising pollution level in Delhi has not deterred the foreign tourists to reach the Delhi and the airport in the national capital received the maximum number of foreign tourists (32.56%) followed by Mumbai Airport (14.02%) and Chennai Airport (6.10%).
According to the latest data compiled by the Tourism ministry, number of foreign tourists arrival in October, 2017 was 8.76 lakh as compared to 7.42 lakh in October last year and 6.83 lakh in October, 2015.
The growth rate in FTAs in October, 2017 over October, 2016 has increased to 18.1%, compared to 8.6% in October, 2016 over October, 2015.
Arrival of foreign tourists during the period January- October 2017 were 79.96 lakh with a growth of 15.8% over same period of the previous year, compared to 69.05 lakh with a growth of 9.6% in January- October, 2016 over January- October, 2015.
The percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals in the country during October, 2017 among the top 15 source countries was highest from Bangladesh (21.66%) followed by USA (11.57%), UK (10.23%), Sri Lanka (3.79%), Canada (3.36%), Germany (3.17%), Australia (3.07%), France (2.81%), Russian Fed. (2.81%), Malaysia (2.76%), Japan (2.44%), Thailand (2.10%), China (1.93%), Nepal (1.66%) and Rep. of Korea (1.48%).
Similarly, the percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in the country during October this year among the top 15 ports was highest at Delhi Airport (32.56%) followed by Mumbai Airport (14.02%), Haridaspur Land Check Post (11.29%), Chennai Airport (6.10%), Bengaluru Airport (5.19%), Kolkata Airport (4.55%), Gede Rail Land Check Post (3.02%), Cochin Airport (2.70%), Dabolim (Goa) Airport, (2.58%), Hyderabad Airport (2.53%), Sonauli Land Check Post (1.86%), Ahmadabad Airport (1.77%), Ghojadanga Land Check Post (1.64%), Amritsar Airport (1.53%) and Trivandrum Airport (1.20%).
Moreover, 1.76 lakh foreign tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 1.05 lakh during the month of October, 2016 registering a growth of 67.3%. During January- October 2017, a total of 12.43 lakh foreign tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 7.81 lakh during January- October 2016, registering a growth of 59.2%.