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 | | Thursday, 27 September, 2001, 16:49 GMT 17:49 UK Indian tourism takes a hit  Foreign tourist bookings are down by as much as 70% By Jyotsna Singh in Delhi India's tourism industry is estimated to have lost more than $200m since the terrorist attacks in the United States. Tourism officials say an urgent meeting has been called between industry leaders and the government next week. The meeting will devise an action plan to offset any major setbacks during the peak season between October and March. India's Director-General of Tourism, Vivek Duggal, told the BBC that the current situation was definitely bad news for the tourism industry but added that there was no cause for alarm. He said the government was considering a proposal to boost domestic travel to minimise losses. Bookings cancelled The president of the Confederation of Indian Tourism, Subhash Goyal, said industry managers would discuss their key concerns with the government in next week's meeting.
The confederation chief said nearly 70% of the bookings for the month of October from the United States and European countries had been cancelled. The peak tourist season between October and March accounts for nearly 50% of the billion dollar industry's turnover. The hotel industry has also been hit badly, with a rate of close to 30% cancellations by foreign visitors. Officials have denied reports that some countries like Australia have advised their citizens against visiting India, and say they are taking all steps to reassure tourists that it is a safe destination. | | See also:  Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top South Asia stories now:  Links to more South Asia stories are at the foot of the page. | |
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