UP rape incidents can effect tourism, foreign exchange earnings: Assocham

The recent incidents of rape and law and order in Uttar Pradesh have the
potential to adversely impact tourism and effect foreign exchange earnings from
the
sector.
Nearly half of the annual foreign tourist arrival in India is cornered by the Taj
Mahal (Agra, UP), the Golden Temple (Amritsar, Punjab), Khajuraho (Madhya
Pradesh) and Jaipur (Rajasthan). However the recent unfortunate incidents in UP,
that had even reverberated in the global media and found mention by the United
Nations echelon, will hurt tourist flow to Taj Mahal, Assocham said.
Of the $18-19 billion which foreign exchange earned through Foreign Tourists
Arrivals (FTAs) in India, Taj Mahal generates $7- 8 billion, corresponding to 40-45
per cent of the total foreign exchange share, Assocham secretary general D S
Rawat said, while releasing a paper on the subject. Inbound overseas tourists are
sensitive to unsavoury incidents, which could upset FTAs, he added..
Rawat added since Taj Mahal was popular with female foreign tourists, the UP
government should take steps to give positive signals to the world that women
are
safe
here.
The silver lining is these incidents had occurred during the lean season, when the
foreign tourist arrivals come down due to intense summer heat in most parts of
India,
particularly
the
north.
Still, about 450,000 FTAs are recorded in June, while north-bound FTAs are lesser
in number. The damage arising of adverse publicity resulting from these
unfortunate incidents could at best be limited because of the lean period, the
paper
claimed.
Assocham had suggested taking immediate confidence-building measures,
before the September-October period, when FTAs start picking up again till
December-January. Hotels, restaurants, transport operators and airlines do brisk
business
during
this
season.
In fact, India should aim at doubling our FTAs in the next five years and
augment foreign exchange earnings to $50 billion per annum, Rawat noted.