Lok Sabha Question No. 602 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-06
Subject: Arrival of Foreign Tourists on e-Visa
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: HARIOM SINGH RATHORE, ANTO  ANTONY, P. KARUNAKARAN, V. PANNEER SELVAM, M. K. RAGHAVAN, JYOTI DHURVE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†602 ANSWERED ON 06.02.2017

## ARRIVAL OF FOREIGN TOURISTS ON E-VISA

†602. SHRI HARIOM SINGH RATHORE:

SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

SHRI P. KARUNAKARAN:

SHRI V. PANNEERSELVAM:

SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN:

SHRIMATI JYOTI DHURVE:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of foreign tourists visiting the country is on steep rise after launching of e-tourist visa scheme;
- (b) if  so,  the  number  and  status  of  tourist  inflow  in  the  country along with their nationality and the revenue earned therefrom, during the last three years and the current year, country-wise including dignitaries visited India on official business;
- (c) whether the Government is going to capitalise this advantage and attract more tourists by extending e-visa facility to more countries in the world;
- (d) whether the Government is taking any steps to simplify rules for  foreign  tourist  and  to  provide  them  better  services  and security in the country; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  measures  taken  in  this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a): Yes, Madam.
- (b): The  number  of  Foreign  Tourist  Arrivals  (FTAs)  in  India  for various purposes including official  business during 2014, 2015 and 2016  were  7.68  million,  8.03  million  and  8.90  million  (Provisional),

respectively.  Nationality-wise  break-up  of  FTAs  during  2014  and 2015  are  given  in  Annexure-I.  FTAs  for  the  current  year  is  not available.  Nationality-wise  break-up  of  FTAs  during  2016  is  not available. The  number  of  FTAs  on  e-Visa  during  2014,  2015  and  2016 were 0.39 lakhs, 4.45 lakhs and 10.80 lakhs, respectively. Nationality-wise break-up of FTAs on e-Visa during 2014, 2015 and 2016 is given in Annexure-II. This information is not available for the current year. The Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) through tourism in India during  2014,  2015  and  2016  were  Rs.1,23,320  crore,  Rs.1,35,193 crore and Rs.1,55,650 crore, respectively. Nationality-wise break-up of FEEs from tourism in India is not available. This information is not available for the current year. Liberalization  of  visa  regime  is  an  ongoing  process.  At present, the e-Visa facility is available for citizens of 161 countries. and

(c) to (e): Government has also approved further simplification rationalization of visa regime in India.

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## ANNEXURE-I

STATEMENT  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†602 ANSWERED ON 06.02.2017 REGARDING ARRIVAL OF FOREIGN TOURISTS ON E-VISA.

## Nationality-wise break-up of FTAs during 2014 and 2015

| Country of Nationality    | 2014    | 2015    |
|---------------------------|---------|---------|
| NORTH AMERICA             |         |         |
| Canada                    | 268485  | 281306  |
| U.S.A                     | 1118983 | 1213624 |
| Total                     | 1387468 | 1494930 |
| CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA |         |         |
| Argentina                 | 9731    | 9351    |
| Brazil                    | 19563   | 20610   |
| Mexico                    | 13978   | 14049   |
| Others                    | 26654   | 26821   |
| Total                     | 69926   | 70831   |
| WESTERN EUROPE            |         |         |
| Austria                   | 34360   | 33670   |
| Belgium                   | 37441   | 36684   |
| Denmark                   | 26775   | 24073   |
| Finland                   | 18765   | 18129   |
| France                    | 246101  | 230854  |
| Germany                   | 239106  | 248314  |
| Greece                    | 8300    | 8087    |
| Ireland                   | 28978   | 32973   |
| Italy                     | 91589   | 88091   |
| Netherlands               | 67747   | 66181   |
| Norway                    | 19690   | 19757   |
| Portugal                  | 36156   | 44616   |
| Spain                     | 66463   | 65694   |
| Sweden                    | 44948   | 42626   |
| Switzerland               | 45773   | 46151   |
| U.K.                      | 838860  | 867601  |
| Others                    | 9528    | 6702    |
| Total                     | 1860580 | 1880203 |
| EASTERN EUROPE            |         |         |
| Czech Rep.                | 9878    | 11441   |
| Hungary                   | 6867    | 7036    |

| Kazakhstan      | 16736   | 14506   |
|-----------------|---------|---------|
| Poland          | 25205   | 26499   |
| Russian Fed.    | 269832  | 172419  |
| Ukraine         | 29281   | 23098   |
| Others          | 64479   | 76052   |
| Total           | 422278  | 331051  |
| AFRICA          |         |         |
| Egypt           | 16715   | 19168   |
| Kenya           | 46158   | 46139   |
| Mauritius       | 27945   | 32533   |
| Nigeria         | 28314   | 24292   |
| South Africa    | 56246   | 51922   |
| Sudan           | 11896   | 13704   |
| Tanzania        | 26284   | 25488   |
| Others          | 67196   | 80323   |
| Total           | 280754  | 293569  |
| WEST ASIA       |         |         |
| Bahrain         | 13136   | 14013   |
| Iraq            | 48321   | 42660   |
| Israel          | 49312   | 50134   |
| Oman            | 88512   | 103740  |
| Saudi Arabia    | 55487   | 63835   |
| Turkey          | 24294   | 25670   |
| U.A.E.          | 59332   | 55818   |
| Yemen Arab Rep. | 34207   | 20901   |
| Others          | 41077   | 40845   |
| Total           | 413678  | 417616  |
| SOUTH ASIA      |         |         |
| Afghanistan     | 115569  | 114406  |
| Iran            | 31222   | 30774   |
| Maldives        | 65052   | 68907   |
| Nepal           | 126416  | 154720  |
| Pakistan        | 96434   | 124924  |
| Bangladesh      | 942562  | 1133879 |
| Sri Lanka       | 301601  | 299513  |
| Bhutan          | 16001   | 19084   |
| Total           | 1694857 | 1946207 |
| SOUTH EAST ASIA |         |         |
| Indonesia       | 32215   | 34933   |
| Malaysia        | 262026  | 272941  |
| Myanmar         | 54631   | 55341   |

| Philippines              | 43240   | 47912   |
|--------------------------|---------|---------|
| Singapore                | 150731  | 152238  |
| Thailand                 | 121362  | 115860  |
| Vietnam                  | 15132   | 15341   |
| Others                   | 6468    | 5732    |
| Total                    | 685805  | 700298  |
| EAST ASIA                |         |         |
| China(Main)              | 181020  | 206322  |
| China(Taiwan)            | 35857   | 36349   |
| Japan                    | 219516  | 207415  |
| Rep. of Korea            | 106870  | 102993  |
| Others                   | 3529    | 2691    |
| Total                    | 546792  | 555770  |
| AUSTRALASIA              |         |         |
| Australia                | 239762  | 263101  |
| New Zealand              | 42864   | 45171   |
| Others                   | 3668    | 3829    |
| Total                    | 286294  | 312101  |
| Not classified elsewhere | 30667   | 24557   |
| Grand Total              | 7679099 | 8027133 |

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ANNEXURE-II

STATEMENT  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†602 ANSWERED ON 06.02.2017 REGARDING ARRIVAL OF FOREIGN TOURISTS ON E-VISA.

Nationality-wise break-up of FTAs on e-Visa during 2014, 2015 and 2016

| Sl. No                | Nationality   | 2014 2015   |   2016 |
|-----------------------|---------------|-------------|--------|
| 1 Andorra             | -             | 2           |     69 |
| 2 Anguilla            | -             | 0           |      0 |
| 3 Antigua & Barbuda   | -             | 9           |     15 |
| 4 Albania             | -             | -           |     76 |
| 5 Argentina           | -             | 405         |   2929 |
| 6 Armenia             | -             | 43          |    173 |
| 7 Aruba               | -             | 0           |      5 |
| 8 Australia           | 1124          | 30323       |  47634 |
| 9 Austria             | -             | -           |   2981 |
| 10 Bahamas            | -             | 26          |     75 |
| 11 Barbados           | -             | 34          |     78 |
| 12 Beligum            | -             | 1767        |   6811 |
| 13 Belize             | -             | 9           |     31 |
| 14 Bulgaria           | -             | -           |    849 |
| 15 Bolivia            | -             | 39          |    203 |
| 16 Bosnia             | -             | -           |    132 |
| 17 Botswana           | -             | -           |     20 |
| 18 Brazil             | 88            | 3670        |   5949 |
| 19 Brunei             | -             | -           |    115 |
| 20 Cambodia           | 129           | 58          |     96 |
| 21 Canada             | -             | 16239       |  40482 |
| 22 Cayman Island      | -             | 4           |      7 |
| 23 Chile              | -             | 506         |   1457 |
| 24 China              | -             | 9918        |  62396 |
| 25 Ching SAR Hongkong | -             | 1413        |   5119 |
| 26 China SAR Macau    | -             | 40          |    171 |
| 27 Colombia           | -             | 367         |   1536 |
| 28 Comoros            | -             | -           |    201 |
| 29 Cook Island        | -             | 0           |      0 |
| 30 Costa Rica         | -             | 197         |    647 |
| 31 Cuba               | -             | 11          |     38 |

| 32 Czech              | -    | -     |   2560 |
|-----------------------|------|-------|--------|
| 33 Djibouti           | -    | 49    |     90 |
| 34 Denmark            | -    | -     |   3647 |
| 35 Dominica           | -    | 17    |     51 |
| 36 Dominican Republic | -    | 65    |    125 |
| 37 East Timor         | -    | 3     |     15 |
| 38 Ecuador            | -    | 251   |    577 |
| 39 Eritrea            | -    | -     |     25 |
| 40 El Salvador        | -    | 41    |    104 |
| 41 Estonia            | -    | 433   |   1415 |
| 42 Fiji               | 13   | 411   |    960 |
| 43 Finland            | 1147 | 2147  |   2903 |
| 44 France             | -    | 20818 |  65188 |
| 45 Gabon              | -    | -     |     37 |
| 46 Gambia             | -    | -     |     18 |
| 47 Georgia            | -    | 240   |    839 |
| 48 Germany            | 570  | 32430 |  49484 |
| 49 Ghana              | -    | -     |    524 |
| 50 Grenada            | -    | 2     |      7 |
| 51 Greece             | -    | -     |   2287 |
| 52 Guatemala          | -    | 30    |    107 |
| 53 Guyana             | -    | 25    |     42 |
| 54 Guinea             | -    | -     |     22 |
| 55 Haiti              | -    | 15    |     35 |
| 56 Honduras           | -    | 28    |    127 |
| 57 Hungary            | -    | 812   |   2968 |
| 58 Indonesia          | 3150 | 3499  |   5247 |
| 59 Ireland            | -    | 1804  |   7497 |
| 60 Israel             | 122  | 6362  |  13024 |
| 61 Iceland            | -    | -     |    188 |
| 62 Ivory Cost         | -    | -     |     23 |
| 63 Jamaica            | -    | 41    |    167 |
| 64 Japan              | 5288 | 7735  |  13223 |
| 65 Jordan             | 66   | 1070  |   1582 |
| 66 Kenya              | 64   | 841   |   2419 |
| 67 Kiribati           | -    | 16    |     32 |
| 68 Laos               | 21   | 31    |     86 |
| 69 Latvia             | -    | 477   |   1170 |
| 70 Lesotho            | -    | -     |      2 |
| 71 Liberia            | -    | -     |     12 |
| 72 Liechtenstein      | -    | 17    |     34 |

| 73                      | Lithuania     | -       | 548   |   1975 |
|-------------------------|---------------|---------|-------|--------|
| 74                      | Luxembourg    | 151 280 |       |    381 |
| 75 Macedonia            | -             |         | 57    |    176 |
| 76                      | Madagascar    | -       | -     |     34 |
| 77 Malaysia             |               | -       | 2993  |  16822 |
| 78 Malta                |               | -       | 56    |    329 |
| 79                      | Malawi        | -       | -     |     22 |
| 80 Marshall Islands     | -             |         | 0     |      2 |
| 81 Mauritius            |               | 28      | 979   |  10714 |
| 82                      | Mexico        | 152     | 6891  |   8934 |
| 83 Micronesia           | -             |         | 9     |      5 |
| 84 Monaco               | -             |         | 15    |     11 |
| 85 Moldova              | -             |         | -     |    220 |
| 86 Mongolia             | -             |         | 11    |     92 |
| 87 Montenegro           | -             |         | 24    |     39 |
| 88 Montserrat           | -             |         | 0     |      1 |
| 89 Mozambique           | -             |         | 30    |    704 |
| 90 Myanmar              | 453           |         | 686   |   1141 |
| 91 Nauru                |               | -       | 4     |      2 |
| 92 Nambia               |               | -       | -     |     11 |
| 93 Netherlands          | -             |         | 4269  |  19077 |
| 94 New Zealand          | 4405          |         | 7065  |  10644 |
| 95                      | Nicaragua     | -       | 19    |     62 |
| 96 Niue Islands         | -             |         | 0     |      0 |
| 97                      | Norway        | 47      | 3420  |   5961 |
| 98 Oman                 |               | 52      | 1247  |   4253 |
| 99 Palau                |               | -       | 2     |      8 |
| 100                     | Palestine     | 3       | 149   |    358 |
| 101                     | Panama        | -       | 38    |    129 |
| 102 papua New           | Guinea -      |         | 32    |     37 |
| 103                     | Paraguay      | -       | 36    |     81 |
| 104                     | Peru          | -       | 182   |    740 |
| 105                     | Philippines   | 3783    | 5373  |   8217 |
| 106 Poland              |               | -       | 2035  |   9168 |
| 107                     | Portugal      | -       | 1379  |   5670 |
| 108 Rep of              | Korea         | 6631    | 17606 |  21125 |
| 109                     | Rep of Crotia | -       | -     |    395 |
| 110                     | Russia        | 2121    | 34763 |  63608 |
| 111 Romania             |               | -       | -     |   1927 |
| 112 Saint Christopher & | Nevis         | -       | 35    |     81 |
| 113 Saint               | Lucia         | -       | 5     |     14 |

| 114 Saint Vincent & the Grenadines   | -     | 0      |      10 |
|--------------------------------------|-------|--------|---------|
| 115 Saint Marino                     | - -   |        |       7 |
| 116 samoa                            | -     | 17     |      15 |
| 117 Seychelles                       | -     | 8      |      18 |
| 118 Senegal                          | -     | -      |      51 |
| 119 Serbia                           | -     | -      |     354 |
| 120 Singapore                        | 4095  | 6691   |   16639 |
| 121 Slovenia                         | -     | 370    |    1440 |
| 122 Solomon Islands                  | -     | 6      |       7 |
| 123 Slovak Rep                       | -     | -      |    1096 |
| 124 South Africa                     | -     | -      |   15489 |
| 125 Spain                            | -     | 4509   |   23644 |
| 126 Sri Lanka                        | -     | 2067   |    4935 |
| 127 Suriname                         | -     | 11     |      35 |
| 128 Swaziland                        | -     | -      |      30 |
| 129 Switzerland                      | -     | -      |    6154 |
| 130 Sweden                           | -     | 3341   |   10318 |
| 131 Taiwan                           | -     | 1098   |    4495 |
| 132 Tazikistan                       | -     | -      |      43 |
| 133 Tanzania                         | -     | 269    |     795 |
| 134 Thailand                         | 124   | 5098   |    9202 |
| 135 Tonga                            | 1     | 6      |       7 |
| 136 Trinidad & Tobago                | -     | -      |     137 |
| 137 Turks & Caicos Island            | -     | 2      |       3 |
| 138 Tuvalu                           | -     | 1      |      12 |
| 139 UAE                              | 361   | 9745   |   18599 |
| 140 Ukraine                          | 1149  | 12370  |   15498 |
| 141 UK                               | -     | 60663  |  239005 |
| 142 USA                              | 3416  | 103092 |  157061 |
| 143 Uruguay                          | -     | 69     |     320 |
| 144 Vanuatu                          | -     | 8      |       9 |
| 145 Vatican City Holy See            | -     | 1      |       0 |
| 146 Venezulea                        | -     | 124    |     405 |
| 147 Vietnam                          | 292   | 706    |    1304 |
| 148 Zambia                           | -     | -      |      87 |
| 149 Zimbabwe                         | -     | -      |     144 |
| Total                                | 39046 | 445300 | 1079696 |

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