New Delhi/Berlin, Mar 6: A proposal to extend visa on arrival facility to tourists from Germany is under the active consideration of the government, Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi said at the inauguration of the India Pavilion at the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin in Germany.
“Germany is an important source market for India. During the year 2011, over 240,000 German tourists visited India. We are looking forward to further increasing the tourist traffic between the two countries,” the minister said.
The minister said foreign tourist arrivals to India constitute only 0.64 percent of the world tourist arrivals and its foreign exchange earnings accounted for 1.61 percent of the world tourism receipts.
“This is a matter of concern for all of us in the ministry. Our endeavour is to increase India's share to 1 percent of the world tourist arrivals by 2016,” he said, according to a statement issued by the tourism ministry in New Delhi.
“Our effort is to consolidate on our well developed cultural and heritage products and develop new niche products like rural tourism, wellness and medical tourism, adventure and wildlife tourism, film tourism, monsoon tourism and golf, polo, sports tourism,” he said.
The tourism minister said India was aware about “issues of cleanliness, hygiene and sustainability”.
The ministry of tourism had launched a “Campaign Clean India” to sensitise the masses about keeping Indian destinations clean.
A total of 58 participants from India are attending the event. These include 12 state governments and 46 travel agents, tour operators, hotels and airlines.
