Tourism’s contribution hikes by 7.3%
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council‘s annual economic impact report 2014 for India, travel and tourism's economic contribution is expected to grow by 7.3 per cent this year, outperforming the general economy by 2.5 per cent points. Revenues gained from domestic tourism rose by 5.1 per cent in 2013 and is expected to increase by 8.2 per cent in 2014. The amount that international visitors spent in India rose by 6.2 per cent in 2013 but is forecast to slow to a 2.9 per cent growth rate in 2014.
“Inbound tourism is continuing to grow both in terms of international tourist arrivals and international tourism receipts. But it is the domestic market which will see particularly strong growth in 2014 with more investment and more Indians travelling,”
David Scowsill, President and Chief Executive Officer, WTTC, said. The Government of India has announced that it proposes to extend Visa- onArrival and electronic travel authorisation for tourists from 180 countries and to speed up the application process for those still requiring a paper visa. It plans to issue visa in three days in such cases. During 2013, travel and tourism industry contributed ` 63,160 crore to the economy and generated 35 million jobs.