As per Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) for India, tourism contributed 5.83 per cent of total Gross Domestic Product and 8.27 per cent of total employment in the country during 2002-03.

The number of foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) and foreign exchange earnings (FEE) from tourism in India during the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 are given below:-

Year FTAs (in million) FEE (in US $ billion)
2007 5.08 10.73*
2008 5.28 11.75**
2009 5.11 @ 11.39**

@ Provisional, * Revised Estimates

** Advanced Estimates

The Ministry of Tourism is focusing on preservation and enrichment of natural and cultural resources to ensure positive impact on environmental protection and community development. In order to create awareness, the Ministry of Tourism organized four conferences in 2008 across India on themes of responsible tourism, community participation and empowerment and waste management, etc. These conferences were held in association with UNDP and various stakeholders. The Ministry also provides Central Financial assistance to States/UTs for development of eco-tourism projects. Promotion and marketing of eco-tourism products have been carried out in domestic and overseas markets.  Said the Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism Shri Sultan Ahmed has said,