Chennai: Demonetisation does not seem to deter foreign nationals from visiting the country or even Indians keen on exploring exotic destinations abroad. While the tourism ministry is taking pride that the foreign footfalls have increased this year corresponding to this period last year, Thailand is the first nation to announce that it expects around 13,200 travellers from India for the New Year holiday period.
Globally, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) anticipates about 3,75,000 international arrivals, up by 5 per cent during the New Year holiday period (Dec. 31 – Jan. 3, 2017), generating tourism revenue of around THB 55.5 billion or up by 12 per cent from last year.
Like last year, this time too, the rains had played spoilsport for the tourism sector in Chennai and many parts of Tamil Nadu. Although the peak foreign tourist season commenced in Tamil Nadu, the year-end attraction – the Indian dance festival at Mamallapuram which ought to have begun in mid-December has to be postponed owing to the cyclone Vardah.
Nevertheless, foreign tourist arrivals to India witnessed a decent 9.3 percent jump for the month of November to about 8.91 lakh compared to 8.16 lakh tourists arrivals during the same month last year. During January-November 2016 period, as many as 78.53 lakh foreign tourists arrived in the country, as against 71.14 lakh arrivals for the same period last year.
The largest number of arrivals for November was from United States (15.53 percent). This was followed by the United Kingdom (11.21 percent), Bangladesh (10.72 percent), Canada (4.66 percent), Russia (4.53 percent), Australia (4.04), the ministry of tourism said.
Despite demonetisation, India earned foreign exchange worth Rs 14,474 crore through Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in November compared to Rs 12,649 crore during the same month in 2015.
