Lok Sabha Question No. 1181 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-19
Subject: Relaxation to Foreign Tourists
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: E. T. Mohammed Basheer

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1181 ANSWERED ON 19.09.2020

## RELAXATION TO FOREIGN TOURISTS

## 1181. SHRI E.T. MOHAMMED BASHEER:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the Government  have  relaxed  restriction on foreign tourists under the protected area permit regime;
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  development  of wellness tourism in India; and
- (d)
- the trend of tourist flow to India during the year 2019-2020?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

- (a) & (b): As per information received from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government  of  India,  no  such  relaxation  has  been  granted  to  foreign tourists  recently.  However,  Central  Government  has  delegated  the following  powers  for  issue  of  Protected  Area  Permit  (PAP)/Restricted Area Permit (RAP):-
- (i) If a foreign national intends to visit a place in the Protected/ Restricted  Area  which  is  not  open  for  tourism  on  a  Tourist visa, Home Department of the State Government UT Administration concerned or FRROs may grant PAP or RAP, as the  case  may  be.  However,  if  such  a  foreign  national  is holding a visa other than Tourist Visa and intends to Visit the Protected/Restricted  Area  for  tourism  purpose  only,  he/  she may  be  granted  PAP  of  RAP,  as  the  case  may  be,  by  the competent authority.
- (ii) Individual  foreign  tourist  [except  those  who  are  citizens  of Prior  Reference  Category  (PRC)  countries  or  having  their origin In such PRC countries] may be granted PAP or RAP, as the case may be, to visit places which are opened for tourism by the Home  Department of the State Government/UT Administration concerned, District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner concerned or by FRROs.

(c): A National Medical & Wellness Tourism Board has been constituted to provide a dedicated institutional framework to take forward the cause of  promotion  of  Medical  Tourism,  Wellness  Tourism  including  Yoga, Ayurveda and other Indian systems of medicine. The Board works as the umbrella  organization  that  promotes  this  segment  of  tourism  in  an organized manner.

The Ministry of Tourism has issued guidelines for the promotion of Wellness as a Niche Tourism Product. These guidelines address various issues  including  inter  alia,  making  available  quality  publicity  material, training and capacity building for the service providers and participation in international & domestic wellness related events.

Wellness  Tourism  has  been  promoted  through  media  campaigns undertaken in the print, television and online media, on the social media accounts  and  website  of  the  Ministry  and  at  various  travel  marts  and exhibitions within the country and overseas.

The  Ministry  of  Tourism  also  provides  financial  assistance  under the Market Development Assistance Scheme (MDA) to approved wellness centres, i.e., representatives of wellness centres accredited by NABH or the State Government for participation in medical/tourism fairs, medical  conferences,  wellness  conferences,  wellness  fairs,  and  allied road shows.

## (d): As per the information received from Bureau of Immigration (BOI), data  on  Foreign  Tourist  arrivals  (FTA)  during 2019  and  2020  are  given below:

| Month     |    2019 | 2020 (Jan-August)   |
|-----------|---------|---------------------|
| January   | 1111040 | 1118150             |
| February  | 1090516 | 1015632             |
| March     |  978236 | 328462              |
| April     |  774651 | 0                   |
| May       |  615136 | 0                   |
| June      |  726446 | 0                   |
| July      |  818125 | 0                   |
| August    |  800837 | 0                   |
| September |  751513 |                     |
| October   |  945017 |                     |
| November  | 1092440 |                     |
| December  | 1226398 |                     |

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