Taking full credit for the success of the 'Incredible India' campaign run by the union ministry of tourism; the government today claimed nearly 5 million foreign tourists visited the country last year. Foreign tourist arrivals, officials informed, were "impressively higher" as compared to 4.45 million in 2006, which meant a growth rate of over 12 per cent.

Compared to 2006 earnings of $8.93 billion, foreign tourists helped generate foreign exchange earnings of $11.96 billion last year, registering a growth of 33.8 per cent. According to an official hand-out, the increase in the foreign exchange earnings from tourists had been rising over the years with 2006 registering a growth of 19.2 per cent  over 2005.

In rupee terms, earnings from tourists were Rs 49,413 crore (Rs 494.13 billion) when compared with Rs 40,375 crore (Rs 403.75 billion) in 2006: a growth of 22.4 per cent. "The impressive performance of the tourism sector is a result of the positive image created about the country through successful branding of 'Incredible India'," the release said.

The 'Incredible India' campaign, the ministry said, had generated immense interest in the country as a tourist destination. It was for this reason that India was chosen as the 'Favourite Country of the Year' in travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller's Readers' Travel Awards-2007. India had also won World Travel Awards' 'Asia's Best Destination' award for the year 2007, the release said.