Indian tourism soaring high: Official

London, Sept 27 (PTI) Despite adverse world economic
conditions, India has registered a robust growth in Foreign
Travel Arrivals, a top Indian government official said here.
"Despite prevalent adverse world economic conditions and
record high oil prices, Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India
recorded a robust growth of 10.4 per cent during January to
August this year," Secretary, Tourism, Government of India S
Banerjee said in his address at the 57th Indian Travel
Congress/Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) Convention
here last night.
"There was a 26 percent growth from Eastern Europe, 22
percent growth from Australia, 24 percent from East Asia and
37 percent from the Scandinavian countries," he said.
Bannerjee informed the convention that in 2007, India was
the second largest investor in London with FDI of 52 billion
pounds.
British Ambassador for Overseas Business Lord Swraj
Paul, who was the Guest of Honour, said as Co-Chairman of the
India-UK Round Table Conference he had played a key role in
ensuring the flights from UK to India are increased from 19 in
2001-02 to 134 per week now, thereby giving a boost to the
tourist industry.
Lord Paul lauded the contribution of former Mayor of
London Ken Livingstone in increasing the profile of Indians in
the UK and also helping improve the India-UK relations.
He also announced that a Convention Centre being built by
his Caparo Group in a 24 acre land in Noida would be ready by
next year.
India's High Commissioner to the UK Shiv Shankar
Mukherjee said that the link between London and New Delhi
hardly needs to be elaborated and conveyed that the Indians
feel quite at home in here.
He said the rapid increase in the number of flights
between India and the UK was a "visible link of the growing
bilateral relations" and added that the travel industry played
a major role in bringing people of the two countries together.
TAAI President C V Prasad said that a record 1,178 travel
agents were attending the Convention and said, "many more are
waiting to come."
He said tourists could have a life-time experience if
they spend a night in any of the 128 villages in India that
have been identified for their unique art and culture.
Referring to the issue of Climate Change and measures
proposed to counter it, Banerjee said, "We need to deal
cautiously with the concept of 'tourist destination carbon
footprint' that has been put forward. Such a measure needs to
reflect the inherent carbon footprint of a destination."
"Environmental conditionalities should not be used as
non-tariff barriers to the flow of tourism...If that happens,
we need to consider its impact on employment and revenues."
He said a Global Conference on Responsible tourism for
Inclusive Growth would be held in New Delhi in December this
year.
Noting that India's engagement with the UK has been
historic and multifaceted, Banerjee said, "India remains
ranked in the top two global destinations and UK continues in
the top two source markets for inbound tourists in India."