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."
The joint secretary of tourism ministry also said that a new civil aviation policy promoting an "almost-open-sky policy and the new Incredible India campaign" will also act as catalysts in boosting inbound tourism.
Extolling the advantages of MICE (meetings,incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism, Billa said it can play a significant role in increasing the number of visitors from other countries, given the magnitude of such events.
"They flatten the seasonality of tourist arrival as the meetings usually take place in off-peak seasons," he said
Praising the state-of the art Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, where the event was organised today, he asserted that such infrastructure development would help in bringing more MICE tourists to India.
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."
"All requirements for businesses, sporting events, accommodation, transport and leisure activities have been taken care of here at New Town," he said.
State additional chief secretary, information and technology, Debashis Sen, said several international conventions have been lined up at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in the next few months.
Around 1,500 new rooms are coming up in the hotels nearby to accommodate the guests who would be arriving here to take part in the conferences, he said.
Kolkata today became the first state chapter of India Convention Promotion Board, with the inauguration of the two-day conclave, which was attended by participants from several countries.
