Tourist arrivals up despite global meltdown, terror attacks

September 17th, 2009 GANGTOK - Travel agents in Sikkim are a worried lot, as they fear a dip in domestic tourist arrivals in the state following the tension that prevails after reports of Chinese incursion and aggression along the international border. "From the tourist point of view the tourism movement...there seems to be lot of fear amongst the countrymen especially the domestic tourists because no body likes to go to a war zone," said Satish Bardewa, proprietor, Yak and Yeti Tour and Travel.

August 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Tourism in India has grown steadily in the past few years despite rise in world crude oil prices and the global meltdown, but it is yet to see its full potential, Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said Tuesday. "It is heartening to note that in spite of rise in world crude price, global financial meltdown, tourism in India has grown steadily and has witnessed great buoyancy in the last few years," Selja said at the first inter-state regional conference of the tourism ministers of the north and central states.

August 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Tourists from the US and Britain topped the list of foreign arrivals in India in 2008, while there was a decline in travellers from Pakistan. According to latest figures issued by the tourism ministry, 827,866 Americans visited India in 2008, followed closely by 787,197 Britons.

August 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - India will hold tourism roadshows in London and other capitals of Commonwealth countries in a bid to cash in on the Commonwealth Games here next year, Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said here Monday. "The Commonwealth Games in India next year will be an important event, especially from the tourism point of view.

July 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian government has initiated several schemes to woo foreign tourists following a sharp decline in the number of footfalls in the first quarter of the year because of the financial meltdown, Tourism Minister Kumari Selja told the Rajya Sabha Thursday. The minister, in reply to a query by member A.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's share in international tourist arrivals is rising, but it gets far fewer number of visitors compared to Singapore, a city-state half the size of Delhi. Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed Thursday told parliament that the growth rate in tourist arrivals in India was high in 2006-07.

June 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Minister for Tourism Kumari Selja Friday urged Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to offer budgetary incentives for the tourism industry as it is facing a crunch due to global economic slowdown. Leading a delegation of key stake holders from tourism industry, Selja met the finance minister and submitted a memorandum requesting concessions in the union budget to be presented July 6.

May 12th, 2009 MADRID - International tourism will decline by two to three percent this year due to the global economic crisis coupled with swine flu, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) said Tuesday. International tourist arrivals went down by eight percent in January and February, compared with the corresponding period in 2008, the UN organisation said at its headquarters in the Spanish capital Madrid.

March 28th, 2009 GANGTOK - Domestic tourist inflow into Sikkim is on the rise so far this year, but there has been a drop in foreign tourists visiting the state. According to tourism department's records, as many as 27,138 domestic tourists arrived in Sikkim in January 2009.

February 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The global meltdown, coupled with the Mumbai terror attacks, considerably impacted the foreign tourist arrivals in India and their number rose only 5.56 percent last year against the expected growth of 14.56 percent, the Rajya Sabha was informed Tuesday. 'The global meltdown has affected those countries that are our primary source of tourist arrivals.

February 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Tourist arrivals to India were down by more than 17 percent in January due to the global economic crisis, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni told the Rajya Sabha Tuesday. Soni said there was a decline in foreign tourist arrivals to the country in the months of December 2008 and January 2009.

January 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Worried about the meltdown hitting India's tourist arrivals, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni has written to all chief ministers asking them to step in 'in these difficult times' with a relief package for the travel and trade industry. Soni had last month also written to Asim Dasgupta, the chairperson of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers, urging him 'to put in place confidence-building measures in order to counter the negative trend' in the sector.

January 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Worried about the global meltdown hitting India's tourist arrivals, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni has written to all chief ministers asking them to step in 'in these difficult times' with a relief package for the travel and trade industry. Soni had last month also written to Asim Dasgupta, the chairperson of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers, urging him 'to put in place confidence-building measures in order to counter the negative trend' in the sector.

December 31st, 2008 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - All four and five-star hotels in Kerala have been asked to prepare a detailed layout plan and undergo a security audit, a state minister said Thursday. 'This has been undertaken in the aftermath of the recent Mumbai terror attacks.

December 23rd, 2008 SHIMLA - A crystal-clear sky in this tourist town in Himachal Pradesh Wednesday morning once again dashed hopes of partygoers of celebrating a White Christmas. For the past 17 years, snowfall on Christmas eve in the summer capital of the British has been eluding the locals and tourists.