1.       Growth of Tourism in the year 2013: 

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) 

Despite negative signals from the global economy, the number of foreign tourist arrivals in the country in 2013 showed an increase of about 4.1 % over 2012. During the period January- December 2013, 68.48 lakh (Provisional) tourists visited India against 65.78 lakh in 2012.

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from Tourism

Foreign exchange earnings from tourism in rupee terms during 2013 were Rs.1,05,836 crore (Provisional) with a growth of 12.0% over the same period in 2012.The foreign exchange earnings during 2012 was to the tune of Rs.94,487 crore.         

            FEE from tourism in terms of US$ during January to December 2013 were US$ 18.133 billion with a growth of 2.2%, as compared to US$ 17.737 billion with a growth of 7.1% during January-December 2012 over the corresponding period of 2011.

Domestic Tourism  

Domestic tourism continues to be the main contributor to the sector providing much needed resilience. The domestic tourist visits during the year 2012 are estimated to be 1036 million (Provisional), showing a growth of 19.9% over 2011

2.         Infrastructure Development:

            Infrastructure development holds the key to India’s sustained growth in the tourism sector. Therefore, the Ministry of Tourism has been making efforts to develop quality tourism infrastructure at tourist destinations and circuits. Ministry has sanctioned Rs. 4090.31 crore for a total number of 1226 tourism projects, which includes projects relating to Product/ Infrastructure Development for Destination and Circuits (PIDDC), Human Resource Development (HRD), Fairs and Festivals and Adventure & Rural Tourism for infrastructure augmentation.

The Ministry has launched a scheme for development of nationally and internationally important destinations and circuits through Mega Projects. So far, 71 mega projects have already been identified out of which 53 projects have already been sanctioned till 30.09.2013.  The mega projects are a judicious mix of culture, heritage, spiritual and ecotourism in order to give tourists a holistic perspective.                     

3.         Human Resource Development 

Broad Basing Of Hospitality Education

In order to meet the huge skill gap in the hospitality industry, the Ministry has adopted a multipronged strategy which includes strengthening and expanding the institutional infrastructure for training and education. For this purpose, Ministry of Tourism supports creation of new Institutes of Hotel Management (IHM) and Food Craft Institutes (FCI) in States besides providing financial assistance for modernization and capacity enhancement of existing IHMs and FCIs.

The National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT), the administrative body for the Institutes of Hotel Management (IHMs) is poised to tie up with Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland for the upgradation of curriculum and teaching methods at all IHMs in the country.

 As a policy of broad basing of hospitality education, grants were provided to 24 ITIs, 7 degree colleges, 4 Polytechnics, 26 Schools and 14 Universities to start new hospitality courses.

The Ministry of Tourism has so far established 21 Central IHMs.  15 State IHMs have become operational with the financial assistance of the Ministry.  Besides 15 State IHMs are various stages of completion.  22 FCIs have been sanctioned so far of which 7 are operational. Besides, a proposal for grant of CFA to 24 Schools located in States of Delhi, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh is also under process.

Capacity building and employment generation:

MoT pursues its skill development effort for skilling over 2.8 lakh person during the 12th Plan Period in terms of its Plan Scheme namely the “Scheme for Capacity Building for Service Providers”. The major initiatives of MoT under its skill development effort are :

Skill Testing and Certification programme for existing service providers.

Hunar Se Rozgar Tak programme aimed primarily at increasing the net benefits to the poor and ensuring that tourism growth contributes to poverty reduction.

Skill Testing and Certification of the Existing Service Providers

A programme for certification of skills of service providers employed in the hospitality sector has been instituted by the Ministry under which the service providers would undergo a 5-day orientation, followed by practical test and viva voce. So far the facilities have been instituted in 21 Central IHMs, 15 SIHMs, 6 FCIs and NITHM. For the year 2013-14, against the target of 16950, skills of 12430 service providers have been certified up to 30/11/2013.

Hunar Se Rozgar Tak (HSRT) programme

  A special initiative was launched in 2009 -10 for creation of employable skills amongst youth belonging to economically weaker strata of society in the age group of 18 to 25 years (upper age limit raised to 28 years in November, 2010) with the basic objective to reduce the skill gap affecting the hospitality and tourism sector and to ensure the spread of economic benefit of tourism to the poor. The programme offers short duration courses of 6 to 8 weeks which are fully funded by MoT.

New Initiatives of Human Resource Development 

• Mid day Meal Scheme of MHRD- training of cook-cum-helpers
• Heritage Walk Escorts (Proposed) 
• Tourist Facilitators Programme
• Earn While You Learn Programme
• Training of Jail inmates at Tihar Jail
• Skin Care & Spa Therapy, Basic Fitness Training, Flower Arrangements in Hotels & Events
• Tour Assistants, Transfer Assistance and Office Assistants in Tourism Sector.
• Skill Certification programme for drivers of tourist vehicles             

4.         Travel Trade

Liberalisation of visa regime:-

a)      Collective landing permits for groups of four and more for all countries except PR countries notified on 01st April, 2013 to be operational in 2014; 

b)      The provisions relating to two months gap between two visits of a foreign national to India on a Tourist Visa and Tourist Visa on Arrival has been reviewed by the Government. It has been decided to lift the restriction of two-month gap on re-entry of foreign nationals coming to India on Tourist Visa and Tourist Visa on Arrival.  However, this relaxation does not include nationals of  Afghanistan, Maldives, China,  Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, foreigners of Pakistan origins and Stateless persons. 

c)      Conference Visa made as simple as Tourist Visa.  

d)     Four new international airports now grant Visa on Arrival (Hyderabad, Thiruvanathapuram, Kochi and Bengaluru).  Goa notified, but not yet operational. 

e)      Tourist Visa on Arrival payment can now be made by credit cards.  Earlier it was only to be paid in rupees. 

f)       Earlier visa application form was only in English.  Even in Germany a cottage industry developer who wishes to fill up the form in English have to pay a typical 50 Euros per form.  At least Germans can read the Roman script.  Japanese and Koreans cannot.  Now the visa application is available in English and several other languages including those in the Roman script. 

g)      Standardization of visa form:  Now roughly 55 per cent of the Indian Missions around the world have a standard visa form.  We are trying to move towards 100 per cent standardization. 

h)      Bank and employment statement is no longer required by the Indian Mission in Paris. 

i)        Even though India has not yet introduced an electronic visa, at least the application form is now available electronically on the Incredibleindia.org website. 

j)        Earlier every passenger had to fill an Embarkation/ Disembarkation card.  Now it will be only one card either Embarkation or Disembarkation. 

More Port of Entries added for Tourist Visa on Arrival

 The Tourist Visa on Arrival facility as extended to four more airports viz. Thiruvananthapuram,  Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi w.e.f. 15.08.2013.

VOA Scheme becomes popular

The “Visa on Arrival” (VoA) Scheme of the government has become popular with the tourists. During the period January to November 2013, a total number of 17,594 VoAs were issued as compared to 13,903 VoAs during the corresponding period of 2012 registering a growth of 26.5%. The number of VoAs issued under the Scheme during January to November 2013 was Japan (5,704), New Zealand (3,349), the Philippines (2,615), Indonesia (2,400), Singapore (2,070), Finland (889), Vietnam (181), Myanmar (143), Luxembourg (126),Cambodia (100) and Laos (17) 

The total number of approval issued to service providers of Travel Trade etc., is given below:- 

 (v)       Tourist Police

                        The Ministry of Tourism in consultation with State Governments/UT Administrations had proposed to set up Tourist Police at prominent tourist spots. The State Governments / UT Administrations of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha have deployed Tourist Police, in one form or the other.