Government of India

MINISTRY OF TOURISM

QUARTERLY e- NEWSLETTER

Vol. 6, October-December, 2017

TOURISM- A FIGURATIVE STATUS

The Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during

October-December 2017 were 3.06 million as

compared to 2.64 million during the same period in

2016, showing a growth of 15.7%.

The Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) through

tourism for the Quarter were ₹50,508 Crores as

compared to ₹42,917 Crores in the corresponding

period in 2016, registering a growth of 17.7 %.

In US$ terms, the FEEs stood at US $7.81 billion

during October-December, 2017 as compared to

US $6.36 billion in 2016 for the same period

registering a growth of 22.8 %.

The FTAs on e- Tourist Visa were 6,38,525 during

October-December, 2017 as compared to 4,04,394

during October-December, 2016 registering a

growth of 55.9 %.

Schemes/ Initiatives Under PRASHAD Scheme, one project for

Development of River Cruise in Uttar Pradesh was

sanctioned at Rs.10.71 Crore in November, 2017.

IMPORTANT EVENTS

Paryatan Parv

Ministry of Tourism organized “Paryatan Parv”

across the country from 5th to 25th October 2017

in collaboration with 18 Central Ministries, State

Governments and Stakeholders. The Parv was

inaugurated at the Humayun’s Tomb on 5th

October 2017 by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Hon’ble MoS

(Culture & Environment, Forest and Climate

Change) and Shri K.J. Alphons, Hon’ble MoS

(Tourism) presided at the function.

The main objective of this event was to focus on the

benefits of tourism, showcasing the cultural

diversity of the country and reinforcing the

principle of “Tourism for All”.

During the event which was spread over 21 days

more than 1125 activities and events were held

covering 31 States and Union Territories. These

included cultural performances, food festivals,

tourism exhibitions, displays of handicrafts &

handlooms, yoga sessions, tourism & heritage

walks, tourism related competitions for students &

public, excursion trips to tourist sites, sensitization

& awareness programmes, seminars & workshops

etc.

The Grand finale of Paryatan Parv was held at New

Delhi from 23-25 Oct. 2017 and was inaugurated

by Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Home Minister.

On the 24th Oct. 2017, Shri Nitin Gadkari,

Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport & Highways,

Shipping and Water Resources, River Development

and Ganga Rejuvenation launched the wayside

amenities at Ramayan & Buddhist Circuits.

Shri Arun Jaitley, Hon’ble Minister of Finance &

Corporate Affairs was the Chief Guest for the

closing ceremony of the Paryatan Parv.

Letters of intent were handed over by him at the

closing ceremony to tourism industry

stakeholders/PSU/private companies to adopt

heritage monuments/tourist sites to become a

‘Monument Mitra’. A total of 16 heritage

monuments/tourist sites were offered for adoption

under the “Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar Apni

Pehchaan” Project.

International Tourism Mart

6th International Tourism Mart (ITM) was

organised in association with the North Eastern

States and with active participation of Ministry of

DONER from 5-7 December, 2017 in Guwahati,

Assam.

Shri Jagdish Mukhi, Governor of Assam inaugurated

the Mart in the presence of Shri K.J.Alphons,

Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism; Shri

Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Assam; Smt.

Rashmi Verma, Union Tourism Secretary and other

dignitaries from Central Ministries and North

Eastern States.

The 6th ITM put the spotlight on India’s “Act East

Policy”, blossoming ties with ASEAN and the larger

East Asia region, home to India’s emerging tourism

markets. Panel discussions were also held focusing

on promoting cultural ties, people-to-people

contact with countries in the ASEAN region

providing enhanced connectivity to the States of

North Eastern Region with other countries in our

neighbourhood, thereby developing inter-regional

tourism between the ASEAN and North East Region

of India.

Around 66 foreign delegates comprising of

stakeholders and media persons from over 29

countries ,29 domestic tourism stakeholders from

other parts of the country engaged in one-to-one

meetings with 103 sellers from the North Eastern

States. This enabled the tourism product suppliers

from the region to reach out to international and

domestic buyers, with the objective of promoting

tourism to the region.

The three-day event also included presentations by

state governments on their tourism potential,

cultural evenings, sightseeing visits to local

attractions in and around Guwahati and a press

meeting on 6th December 2017. An exhibition by

State Tourism Departments from the North Eastern

States including display of beautiful handicrafts and

handlooms was also organised to show case the

tourism products of the N.E states. Post Mart

familiarisation tours to the North Eastern states for

foreign buyer/ media delegates were also

organized.

Promotional Activities

Ministry of Tourism participated in World

Travel Mart (WTM) in London from 6th to

8th November, 2017. The India pavilion

was set up on the theme of spiritual tourism

at WTM. A total of 13 State Governments,

22 Tour operators, Air India, IRCTC and

ITDC participated as co-exhibitors at the

India pavilion.

Ministry of Tourism participated in

Buddhist Circuit Workshop organised by

World Bank at New Delhi on 11.12.2017.

Hon’ble Minister (Tourism), who

inaugurated the workshop, attended both

the sessions. The objective of the workshop

was to discuss opportunities and constraints

for inclusive and sustainable growth for

Buddhist Circuit development in India.

Hon’ble Minister summed up the

proceedings of the workshop.

ACTIVITIES OF INDIA TOURISM

OFFICES OVERSEAS

India Tourism Toronto participated in the Salon

International Tourism Voyages Exhibition at

Bonaventure, Montreal from 20th – 22nd October,

2017, wherein 6 co-exhibitor Tour Operators from

India and Canada participated under India pavilion.

India Tourism New York participated in the Feria

Internacional De Turismo De America Latina (FIT)

Tourism fair from 28-31st October, 2017 at Buenos

Aires, Argentina wherein six co-exhibitor Indian

Tour Operators participated at India Stand.

India Tourism Tokyo organized the awarding

ceremony of India Photo Contest 2017 held at

Embassy of India, Tokyo on 12th December, 2017.

Ministry of Tourism has awarded first and second

prize of “Full Hospitality to visit India”.

India Tourism Paris Participated in a Roadshow

organized by TOURMAG, a leading French Tour

Operator in France from 11th to 15th December

2017. Nine major cities in South of France namely

Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon, Toulon, Marseille,

Toulouse, Pau, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Angers

were covered during this roadshow.

Other important activities of India

Tourism Offices Overseas

India Tourism Offices Overseas organized the

following events:

India Tourism Paris - Participated in the International Luxury Travel Mart held in Cannes, France from 04 to 07 December 2017.

India Tourism Frankfurt - Conducted Know

India Seminars for Tour Operator/ agents in

Vogograd, Krasnodar and Samara in Russia

and in Zagreb, Croatia.

India Tourism Amsterdam - Participated in

Tourism Seminar at Durbuy, Wallonia,

Belgium. The Seminar was attended by

around 40 experts including Travel Agents,

Tour Operators, Tourism lecturers etc.

India Tourism Singapore - Participated

in ITB Asia 2017 from 25th to 27th

October, 2017 at Sands Expo & Convention

Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. 8 co-

exhibitors from India also participated.

ACTIVITIES OF DOMESTIC

REGIONAL OFFICES

India Tourism- South

The first Tamilnadu Travel Mart was inaugurated

on 12th October 2017 at Mamallapuram. The

inauguration function was held at Confluence

Resort, Mamallapuram.

The three-day travel mart was inaugurated by

Smt. Rashmi Verma, IAS, Secretary (Tourism),

Govt. of India. The inauguration event was

attended by delegates from more than 30

countries and tour operators from all over India

As a part of “PARYATAN PARV 2017”

celebrations, a Mega Rural Tourism Festival was

held at Samathur Zamin, Pollachi, Tamilnadu on

11th October 2017. The full day mega event

showcased the rich Rural Culture, Art, Cuisine,

Sports and Handicrafts of Tamilnadu.

Shri Satyajeet Rajan, IAS, Director General,

Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and

Shri Shreevats Sanjay, Regional Director (South)

participated in this event.

India Tourism West

On the occasion of children’s Day, Indiatourism

Mumbai organized a painting Competition for

children from Schools and Orphanages in

Priyadarshini Park, Mumbai. The competition

was to create awareness about Incredible India

Campaign and Care for our Environment to the

younger generation.

Under the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India

initiative of “Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat”

Indiatourism Mumbai organized an “Odisha State

Tourism Promotional Event” in Pune,

Maharashtra on 15th December, 2017. The

event showcased the Culture, Tourism Products

and Heritage of Odisha to the Tourism

Stakeholders of Maharashtra. The event was

attended by around 120 Tourism Stakeholders of

Maharashtra and the officials, travel trade

members from Odisha.

India Tourism North East

Heritage Tour Programme was organized in

various place of Tourist Interest during the

Paryatan Parv 5th October to 25th

October,2017.

Indiatourism, Guwahati participated in the 1st

Kids Festival at Silpagram, Guwahati 11-12th

November,2017 to create awareness of tourism

among young minds.

India Tourism North

On the occasion of Paryatan Parv 2017, India

Tourism, Agra along with UP Tourism and

other Ministries organized Dastan -A- Amir

Khusrau (Cultural Event) on 10.10.2017 at

Hotel Taj Khema, Agra.

India Tourism Jaipur organized Campaign

Clean at Railway Station, Jaipur in association

with Gujarat Tourism Department, Coolies,

Autorikshaw Driver and other local people by

cleaning the places in and around the Railway

Station. The participants have also taken pledge

for cleanliness on the occasion of Mahatma

Gandhi Jayanti.

India Tourism, New Delhi participated in the

“National Seminar on Adventure Tourism” held

on 28th November 2017 at India Habitat, Lodhi

Colony, New Delhi.

India Tourism East

Incredible India films were screened at various

screens of multiplexes in West Bengal like

Bioscope in City Centre Haldia, Carnival Cinema

& Bioscope in Durgapur, London-Paris at Mukti

World in Kolkata

Indiatourism Kolkata participated in a number of

tourism related fairs with Incredible India

pavilion all over the state of West Bengal

including Kolkata.

Indiatourism Kolkata celebrated PARYATAN

PARV (5th to 25th OCT 2017) with various

series of events opening with a Marathon Walk

from Town Hall in presence of renowned theatre

& film personality Shri Sabyasachi Chakraborty

and was concluded with Food Fest ‘Chakh Apna

Desh’ alongwith cultural program by Eastern

Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata.

www.tourism.gov.in www.incredibleindia.org

24×7 Toll-free Tourist Helpline Number: 1800-11-1363 Short Code: 1363

Languages supported: English, Hindi, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Spanish Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese and Russian.

Edited by: MARKET RESEARCH DIVISION (Ministry of TOURISM)