New Delhi: India saw a 14.8 per cent decline in gross tourism receipts to $6.9 billion in January-August as the global economic slump and fears of rising cases of H1N1 infection discouraged visitors, data showed on Wednesday.
The data released by the federal tourism ministry said arrivals to India tumbled 8.6 per cent in August to 0.36 million as compared with the same period last year.
"There has been a decline of 8.6 per cent in FTAs (foreign tourist arrivals) in August 2009 as compared to positive growth of 0.2 per cent and 0.6 per cent in June 2009 and July 2009 respectively," it said in a statement.
The foreign exchange earnings from the tourism sector stood at $8.1 billion for the first eight months of 2008.
Analysts say global recession and rising number of H1N1 cases have adversely affected tourism in India and other countries.
"Markets for India, which are US and UK, they have just about dried up, specially the US," said Himmat Anand, Managing Director, Diethelm Travel India, a travel agency in New Delhi.
He said Mumbai attacks in November also have adversely affected the flow of tourists to India.
In January-August period this year, the number of tourists arriving in India declined by 7.9 per cent to 3.3 million, the statement added.
However, the foreign exchange earnings rose slightly by 0.7 per cent to $851 million in August 2009 against $845 million in the same month last year.
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