The Union Minister of State for Tourism Alphons Kannanthanam has said that the number of foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India has crossed the one crore mark for the first time and the government is aiming to double this number in next three years. He noted that the total income from FTAs stood at Rs 1,80,000 crore.
Kannanthanam has stated that the government had set itself a target of doubling the FTA in the next three years and the nightlife tourism would be promoted to achieve this. He pointed out that the impressive achievement of the tourism sector with contribution of about 6.88 percent to the country's total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and contributes around 12.36 percent of the country’s whole employment sector.
The Minister further said that the unemployment issues of Kerala could be resolved to a large extent if the state focuses on tourism and Information Technology. Talking on tourism development in Kerala, he said that an expert team has been entrusted to study the tourism potential of Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts.