Lok Sabha Question No. 3111 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-06
Subject: Free SIM Card to Foreign Tourists
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: PONNUSAMY VENUGOPAL, GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3111 ANSWERED ON 06.08.2018

## FREE SIM CARD TO FOREIGN TOURISTS

## 3111. DR. P. VENUGOPAL: DR. C. GOPALAKRISHNAN:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to discontinue the scheme of  providing  free SIM Cards to foreign tourists arriving in the country through the e-visa route;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  reasons therefor along with the details of the scheme being implemented in this regard;
- (c) the total number of tourists arrived in the country on e-visas and  the  revenue  earned  therefrom  during  the  year  2016, country-wise; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  aims  to  double  the  foreign  tourist arrivals and revenue therefrom in the next three years and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SHRI K.J. ALPHONS)

(a) and (b): The Ministry of Tourism had launched the initiative for  providing  pre-loaded  SIM  cards  to  foreign  tourists,  arriving  in India  on  e-visa,  w.e.f.  15 th   February,  2017.  This  initiative  was launched  in  association  with  Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Ltd.  (BSNL), wherein  BSNL  distributed  pre-loaded  SIM  cards  to  foreign  tourists arriving in India, on e-visa. The scheme was launched on pilot basis in  the  New  Delhi  IGI  airport  and  the  Cochin  International  airport. This  service  has  been  withdrawn  w.e.f.  17.11.2017,  as  it  was  on pilot basis. 5019 tourists have availed the scheme at the New Delhi IGI airport since its launch and 3685 tourists availed this initiative at the Cochin International Airport, during this period.

(c): The total number of tourists who visited India on e-visa during the year 2016, country-wise, may be seen at Annexure. (d): The Ministry of Tourism continuously aims for increasing the foreign  tourist  arrivals  into  the  country  and  for  increasing  the Foreign  Exchange  Earnings,  from  tourism,  by  taking  a  slew  of promotional activities, through the Incredible India campaign, globally and developing niche tourism products, to promote India as a 365 days destination, offering year round experiences.

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ANNEXURE

STATEMENT IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3111 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2018 REGARDING FREE SIM CARD TO FOREIGN TOURISTS.

The total number of tourists who visited India on e-visa during the year 2016, country-wise is as under:

| S. No        | Nationality       | E-visa   |
|--------------|-------------------|----------|
| 1            | Andorra           | 69       |
| 2            | Albania           | 76       |
| 3            | Anguilla          | 0        |
| 4            | Antigua & Barbuda | 15       |
| 5            | Argentina         | 2929     |
| 6            | Armenia           | 173      |
| 7 Aruba      |                   | 5        |
| 8 Australia  |                   | 47634    |
| 9 Austria    |                   | 2981     |
| 10 Bahamas   | 75                |          |
| 11 Barbados  | 78                |          |
| 12 Belgium   |                   | 6811     |
| 13 Belize    |                   | 31       |
| 14           | Bulgaria          | 849      |
| 15 Bolivia   |                   | 203      |
| 16           | Bosnia            | 132      |
| 17           | Botswana          | 20       |
| 18 Brazil    |                   | 5949     |
| 19 Brunei    |                   | 115      |
| 20           | Cambodia          | 96       |
| 21 Canada    |                   | 40482    |
| 22           | Cayman Island     | 7        |
| 23 Chile     |                   | 1457     |
| 24           | China             | 62396    |
| 25 China SAR | Hong Kong 5119    |          |
| 26           | China SAR Macau   | 171      |
| 27           | Colombia          | 1536     |
| 28           | Comoros           | 201      |
| 29           | Cook Island       | 0        |
| 30           | Costa Rica        | 647      |
| 31           | Cuba              | 38       |

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

| 72            | Liechtenstein   |    34 |
|---------------|-----------------|-------|
| 73            | Lithuania       |  1975 |
| 74            | Luxembourg      |   381 |
| 75            | Macedonia       |   176 |
| 76            | Madagascar      |    34 |
| 77            | Malaysia        | 16822 |
| 78            | Malta           |   329 |
| 79            | Malawi          |    22 |
| 80 Marshall   | Islands         |     2 |
| 81            | Mauritius       | 10714 |
| 82            | Mexico          |  8934 |
| 83            | Micronesia      |     5 |
| 84            | Monaco          |    11 |
| 85            | Moldova         |   220 |
| 86            | Mongolia        |    92 |
| 87            | Montenegro      |    39 |
| 88            | Montserrat      |     1 |
| 89            | Mozambique      |   704 |
| 90            | Myanmar         |  1141 |
| 91            | Nauru           |     2 |
| 92            | Namibia         |    11 |
| 93            | Netherlands     | 19077 |
| 94 New        | Zealand         | 10644 |
| 95            | Nicaragua       |    62 |
| 96            | Niue Islands    |     0 |
| 97            | Norway          |  5961 |
| 98            | Oman            |  4253 |
| 99            | Palau           |     8 |
| 100           | Palestine       |   358 |
| 101           | Panama          |   129 |
| 102 Papua New | Guinea          |    37 |
| 103           | Paraguay        |    81 |
| 104           | Peru            |   740 |
| 105           | Philippines     |  8217 |
| 106           | Poland          |  9168 |
| 107           | Portugal        |  5670 |
| 108           | Rep of Korea    | 21125 |
| 109           | Rep of Croatia  |   395 |
| 110           | Russia          | 63608 |
| 111           | Romania         |  1927 |

| 112   | Saint Christopher & Nevis      |      81 |
|-------|--------------------------------|---------|
| 113   | Saint Lucia                    |      14 |
| 114   | Saint Vincent & the Grenadines |      10 |
| 115   | Saint Marino                   |       7 |
| 116   | Samoa                          |      15 |
| 117   | Seychelles                     |      18 |
| 118   | Senegal                        |      51 |
| 119   | Serbia                         |     354 |
| 120   | Singapore                      |   16639 |
| 121   | Slovenia                       |    1440 |
| 122   | Solomon Islands                |       7 |
| 123   | Slovak Rep                     |    1096 |
| 124   | South Africa                   |   15489 |
| 125   | Spain                          |   23644 |
| 126   | Sri Lanka                      |    4935 |
| 127   | Suriname                       |      35 |
| 128   | Swaziland                      |      30 |
| 129   | Sweden                         |   10318 |
| 130   | Switzerland                    |    6154 |
| 131   | Taiwan                         |    4495 |
| 132   | Tajikistan                     |      43 |
| 133   | Tanzania                       |     795 |
| 134   | Thailand                       |    9202 |
| 135   | Tonga                          |       7 |
| 136   | Trinidad & Tobago              |     137 |
| 137   | Turks & Caicos Island          |       3 |
| 138   | Tuvalu                         |      12 |
| 139   | UAE                            |   18599 |
| 140   | Ukraine                        |   15498 |
| 141   | UK                             |  239005 |
| 142   | USA                            |  157061 |
| 143   | Uruguay                        |     320 |
| 144   | Vanuatu                        |       9 |
| 145   | Vatican City Holy See          |       0 |
| 146   | Venezuela                      |     405 |
| 147   | Vietnam                        |    1304 |
| 148   | Zambia                         |      87 |
| 149   | Zimbabwe                       |     144 |
|       | Total                          | 1079696 |

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