India Sees 4.5 Pct Increase in Tourist Arrivals, Majority Arrive from U.S.

Sri Lankan travelers dropped from 0.30 million to 0.29 million, while Malaysia has come across with a fall of 0.20 million tourists to 0.19 million and hence has come down to 10^th rank from its previous eighth position.

Travelers from Canada are still at 0.25 million but the tourists from Germany has increased from 0.24 million to 0.25 million. France showed an increase with 0.24 million tourists in 2012 whereas Japan witnessed 0.22 million travelers from 0.19 million the previous year.

Though India has an increase in foreign tourists with entrances of 0.64 percent, but smaller nations in Southeast Asia draw far more visitors.

According to the source of Ministry of Tourism, new implementation in tourist visa rules that include raising compulsory two-month gap between consecutive visits to the country and permitting visa-on-arrival for group visas will possibly boost growth that will only be reflected in the year to come, reported TOI.

Recently, the government has analyzed the embarkation form and simplified the process. Tourism minister K Chiranjeevi is taking up plans to liberalize the visa process which includes getting in more nations under the visa-on-arrival scheme, incentives to be delivered for those on a visit for medical treatment and concessions for senior citizens.