India draws 18% more tourists in April

New Delhi (IANS) - The total number of foreign tourists coming to India this April was 17.7 percent more than the corresponding period last year, a tourism ministry statement said Friday.

According to the statement, 4.17 lakh foreign tourists came to India this April, while the number was 3.54 lakh last year. In 2009, the number was 3.48 lakh.

“Further, the foreign tourist arrivals in the January-April 2011 period was 21.54 lakh, with a growth of 12.3 percent, as compared to the arrival of 19.18 lakh in 2010. The 2010 figure was a growth of 8.9 percent over the corresponding period of 2009,” the statement said.

Similarly, the foreign exchange earnings in Indian rupees registered a growth of 26.7 percent this April over the corresponding period in 2010.

The earnings for the period of January-April 2011 also registered a growth of 10.8 percent, as compared to the earnings in the corresponding period last year.