India: Tourist capital of S Asia

India accounted for over half of the tourist arrivals to South Asia in 2006, in which arrivals were up 10% over 2005, as per the latest data from the World Tourism Organisation. A strong performance from Asia underlined a record tourism year 2006, where arrivals rose 4.5% to 842 million globally, disease, disasters and terrorism notwithstanding. Total international arrivals into India, as per the ministry of tourism, government of India were up 13% to 4.43 million in 2006.

Region-wise, arrivals to Africa rose 8.1%, followed by Asia-Pacific at 7.6%, and Europe and the Middle East at 4% each. The US market was the laggard, arrivals having grown 2%, but Latin America performed better, with Central America arrivals up by 6.1% and South America arrivals up by 7.2%.

The WTO forecasts a 4.1% growth in global tourist arrivals for 2007 as well. South Asia, with India as the single largest destination, is forecast to receive 11 million visitors by 2010, and 19 million by 2020, taking its market share in global arrivals to 1.2% by 2020 against 0.7% in 1995.

Arrivals to South Asia are expected to grow at 6.2% between 1995-2020, just below the rest of Asia at 6.5% and the Middle East at 6.7%.

The WTO notes that tourists are now better informed through various sources, international connections have improved, and regions on the whole are adjusting better than ever before to shocks like oil prices or exchange rate fluctuations. There is also increased business travel between regions like Asia, Africa and the rest of the world, which drives arrival numbers

SACHIN BAXI

EconomicTimes.com[ TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2007]