Foreign tourist arrivals in India during calendar year 2005 have touched an all-time high of 3.91 million, compared with 3.45 million in 2004, a rise of 13.2 per cent.
The arrival figure has exceeded the tourism ministry's target for the year -- 3.8 million. For the year 2006, the ministry has set the arrival target at 4.4 million.
Ministry officials attribute this rise to the 'Incredible India' campaign, which has helped market tourist destinations well. Further, the month of December saw tremendous growth with arrivals pegged at 463,613, compared with 417,527 in the corresponding period last year.
In 2005, foreign exchange earnings touched Rs 25,172.28 crore, compared with Rs 21,603 crore last year, a rise of 16.5 per cent.
In dollar terms, foreign exchange earnings in 2005 were pegged at $5,730.86 million, compared with $4,769 last year, a rise of 20.2 per cent.
"Following a shortage in availability of rooms, hotel rates have spiraled this season. Bangalore's Leela notched up a deal for Rs 16,000 per night and Delhi's The Imperial at Rs 13,000 per night. In the same class, hotels in Singapore offer a night at half the rate," said an industry insider.
According to Bharat Hotels' Chairman and Managing Director Lalit Suri, the demand for rooms is double the supply (at 91,000 room-nites).
Tour operators saw a huge rush of tourists and had to even send tourist groups back.
There is, however, huge room for growth as India just has a 0.44 per cent share in global travel. Further, hotels in metros have seen most of the rush and are running to full capacity in the ongoing tourist season (October-March). Even destinations like Agra, Jaipur or Srinagar, expected to do well, have not been able to command $100 per night.
Also, tour operators are planning to approach the tourism ministry with a list of hotels that have not honoured rate contracts between hotels and tour operators. "This gives a bad name to the whole sector," said Subhash Goyal, president of Indian Association of Tour Operators.
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