United Nations, Sep 27: India as a favourite destination is the driving factor behind the positive results in South Asia region's tourism sector, according to United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) 2018 report.
The report stated that positive results in South Asia were largely driven by the strong performance of India, the sub-region largest destination, which benefited from increasing demand from western source markets and simpler visa procedures.
Entire South Asia contributed 10.1 per cent to International Tourism Receipts in Asia and the Pacific region. In the South Asia region, India registered 7.0 per cent, the highest among the block.
As per the report, international tourism receipts improved for India between 2010-2017. In 2010, India received 14,490 million US dollars, 22,427 million US dollars in 2016 and 27,365 million US dollars in 2017.
Also, the recovery of outbound demand from Brazil and the Russian Federation after a few years of decline and the ongoing rise of India, also contributed to inbound growth in many destinations.
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On the other hand, South-East Asia enjoyed the highest growth of all Asian subregions, with an additional nine million international tourists in 2017. Growth across destinations was fuelled by robust demand from North-East Asian source markets. Vietnam recorded the fastest growth in arrivals, while Thailand, the subregion's largest destinations, added three million more arrivals. Visa exemptions and improved air connectivity also contributed to the positive results.