Foreign exchange earnings have shown a positive growth till November last year and the revenue earnings were to the tune of Rs 9562 crore (Rs 95.62 billion), he said.
With increasing liberalisation in civil aviation sector, there has been improvement in movement of tourists from various traffic-generating markets. More and more airlines are now getting rights to operate in India, he added.
Five international carriers have added India to their schedule. Existing carriers have been allowed additional services, charter policy has been liberalised and low cost airlines are available, Gaur pointed out.
Airports are being upgraded, modernisation plans have been prepared and action initiated. The Delhi airport looks much improved and Mumbai airport is getting a facelift. Private operators are also offering helicopter services, he said.
"There is a genuine eagerness to improve air transport facilities. Once these areas are improved, corporate traffic will increase. They need fast movement facilities, Gaur said.
India has already made a mark as a MICE (meetings, incentives, convention, exhibitions) destination with enchanting tours and conference facilities existing not only in metropolitan cities but in other places also, Gaur said.
One area where there is a big visible improvement is highway development. Work is already underway at several places and once this is completed, in say four to five years, the road network with a comfortable transport system would result in further boom in tourism infrastructure, Gaur said.
About Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion) is planned to be invested in highway development and work is progressing fast on this front. This will give a boost to tourism, especially domestic tourism with lot of infrastructure facilities in the form of wayside amenities, shopping malls and petrol pumps, thereby creating lot of local employment as well, he said.
Tourism is expected to throw up new job opportunities. In the coming years, people will value the importance of tourism and not think of it as an elitist activity, said Gaur who is in-charge of promoting tourism in Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh.
The Archaeological Survey of India, in a special gesture to boost tourism, has provided a facility to view Taj Mahal in the moonlight. In the coming days, honeymoon packages with 'Moonlit Taj' viewing would be offered, Gaur said.
Cruise tourism is a big business these days with more and more cruise liners coming at various Indian ports bringing a lot of tourists.
Many liners, which have never used India as a port of call, are now touching Mumbai. Recently, four liners were in Mumbai from the UK and the US and about 20 to 25 liners are expected to call on Mumbai port between October-March period, the tourism director said.
The tourism ministry has actively promoted the concept of 'night bazaar'. Delhi has extended timings for opening of bars at night, Goa is already operating casinos. Plans are afoot to have a special tourism festival with night bazaar and also international marathon in Mumbai.
Bollywood tourism packages are on offer and these have become very popular, Gaur said. Many tourism-oriented festivals have been programmed for 2005 with dates announced well in advance by each state and these are being properly packaged by tour operators for overseas agents.
Indian tourist offices overseas are actively promoting educational tours for agents and these are showing results, Gaur said adding many tour operators have already started India packages by having exclusive India holiday brochures.
Deccan Odyssey, the new tourist train from Maharashtra, has now become popular with the 'Palace On Wheels' concept, he added.
However, Gaur felt Indian tour operators and others in the industry should not become complacent and make efforts to maintain the tourist flow. Some self-control is needed about hygiene and hotels need to control upward trend vis-à-vis tariffs.
Gaur also stressed the need for municipal corporations all over the country to ensure cleanliness, policing for security of tourists, control of beggars at tourist places, cleanliness inside the airport and crowd management outside and properly illuminated street junctions.
