Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi has said that the recent decision of the Government of India to lift the restriction of the two month gap on re-entry of foreign nationals coming to India on a tourist visa will encourage more tourists to visit India. Addressing a gathering of tour operators at International Tourism Bourse at Berlin, Germany today he said Germany is one of the India’s most important tourist markets.
Chiranjeevi said the number of tourist arrivals from Germany has witnessed a substantial increase over the last few years. The number of German tourists visiting India in the year 2009 was 1,91,616, which rose to 2,27,720 in the year 2010 and 2,40,235 in the year 2011. Chiranjeevi said most of the German tourists travel to India during winter months and South India, Rajasthan, Goa and Himalayas have emerged as favourite destinations for them. He said growing awareness about Ayurveda, Yoga and wellness has created great interest about India in Germany.
The Minister is currently on a Five day visit to Germany. During his stay he will have extensive meetings with Tour and Travel operators, Travel writers and other stakeholders. A total of 58 participants from India are attending ITB. These include 12 State Governments and 46 travel agents, tour operators, hotels and airlines. The States of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal will be represented by their Tourism Ministers at ITB Berlin 2013. As in previous years, complementary space is being provided to the North-Eastern states within India Pavilion for showcasing their tourism potential.
