"We earned $4.8 billion in foreign exchange from tourism in 2004 and we expect it to cross $10 billion in the next three years," she told PTI in an interview.
Chowdhury, who was in London to participate in the World Travel Market, 2005, said, "India, today, is a transformed tourist destination, competing to give the best, in fact the 'incredible'."
The unprecedented growth and a successful campaign has resulted in the National Geographical Traveller calling India "The Land of Mystery and Majesty," she said.
The Lonely Planet in a survey of 167 countries selected India as one of the top 5 destinations of the world. Even Conde Nast traveller in its Readers' Survey for 2005 has selected India as one of the top destinations of the world.
"It is also a matter of great pride for us that our efforts are getting international acknowledgement," she said, adding India has won the 2005 PATA Grand Award in the Heritage category for the 'Ajanta Ellora Conservation and Tourism Development Project' and the PATA Gold Award in the print media category for India's Incredible-Taj campaign.
"All around us we see these tell tale signs, of the tourism boom which India is experiencing," she said.
