New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS): India needs to accelerate the rate of growth of foreign tourist arrivals, Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi said Saturday.
"India is fast emerging as a leading tourist destination. Foreign tourist arrivals to the country have been increasing over the years, but we need to accelerate the rate of growth. The Ministry of Tourism has set a target of increasing the share of India in world tourist arrivals from the current 0.6 per cent to one per cent in the next five years," he said at the International Tourism Mart organised at Guwahati.
Chiranjeevi said that the ministry's expenditure to promote tourism in the northeast has "exceeded the earmarked 10 per cent year after year".
The three-day mart is being attended by 85 delegates from 23 countries including ASEAN countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Japan, Korea, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Britain and the US.