tourists

The number of tourists from Britain to Goa has declined by 30 percent, but Russian tourists have swelled by more than 200 percent over the last two years, the State Assembly was told on August 2. According to data tabled in the house by the Tourism Ministry, the top arrivals at Goa's sunny beaches in 2010 and 2011 were from European countries, namely Germany, Finland, France, Switzerland and Sweden, apart from Russia and Britain.

Goa plans to learn from Israel in order to promote and pursue its model of rural tourism, which is a hit in that country. According to Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, the Goa government has given its 'full support to start this new chapter in ties with Israel'. Goa has stepped up efforts to improve the landscape of its villages, so as to make it more attractive for the tourists.

The number of foreign tourists visiting India increased for the third consecutive year in 2011, while domestic tourism too has been witnessing double digit growth, the Tourism Ministry said.

The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) has stated that tourism in the state of Kerala might be affected by the recession in European countries, reports The Hindu Business Line. This is because nearly 70 percent of the international tourists visiting Kerala belong to Europe.