In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel said development and promotion of tourism is primarily the responsibility of state governments and union territory administrations concerned. The number of foreign tourist arrivals in the country rose 5.2 per cent to 1.05 crore in 2018, according to the government. The foreign exchange earnings through them also went up 9.6 per cent to 1.94 lakh crore last year.
The Tourism Ministry provides financial assistance through Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes for development of tourism infrastructure. In 2018, there were 10.56 million foreign tourist arrivals which was an increase of 5.2 per cent compared to 2017. The number stood at 10.04 million in 2017, as per data provided in a written reply.
Number of foreign tourist arrivals in India hikes up by 1.05 cr to 5.2% in 2018 : Govt
