Incredible India campaign launched on youtube.com
	16:3 IST

Secretary of Ministry of Tourism,  Shri  Shilabhadra Banerjee, here today launched a Brand Channel on YouTube to help communicate the wonders of India to a worldwide audience.  The Ministry, known worldwide for its "Incredible India" campaign, have made promotional Incredible India videos available to the YouTube community at www.youtube.com/India.   Speaking on the occasion, Shri S. Banerjee said that Incredible India Campaign is well recognized all over the world and efforts are being made to maximize our reach.  He said we have to show the world the progress India has made since its Independence 60 years ago.  He said using YouTube website for promotion of Incredible India Campaign is an effort in that direction.  YouTube one of the leaders in online video, and the premier site to watch and share original videos worldwide through  the Web experience.  As per the Neilsen NetRatings. www.youtube.com (main site) has about 48 million unique users in US only and it is the 8th most trafficked website in the world.  Every minute, videos of six hours in combined are uploaded on www.youtube.com This Channel www.youtube.com/India will give further international exposure to "Incredible India" (which includes content related to India's Independence) and, with its dynamic video content, will complement the already content-rich web presence of the Ministry of Tourism’s website http://www.incredibleindia.org.   By creating this Brand website on YouTube, the Ministry of Tourism will enable people around the world to experience and engage with the marvels of India through the power of Incredible videos.  Presently  there are 18 Films/Videos uploaded on the site and more will be added in due course of time. Shri Shailesh Rao, Managing Director, Google India was also present on the launching ceremony. TOURISM SCENARIO IN INDIA There has been a remarkable growth in the recent years in foreign tourist arrivals to India due to the various efforts made, including promoting India through the ‘Incredible India Campaign’  in overseas market.   Foreign tourist arrivals to the country have increased by 78% in the last five years and foreign exchange earnings from tourism during the same period have grown by 122%. The year 2006 saw an increase of 13% in foreign tourist arrivals (4.41 Million (P) as compared to the previous year 2005 with an arrival of 3.91 Million. The first 7 months of the year 2007 have already seen an increase of 11.9% with an arrivals of 2.76 Million as compared to the first 7 months of 2006 with an arrival of 2.47 Million. Tourism has been one of the largest net earners of foreign exchange for the country recording earnings of Rs. 29603.56 crore6.6 billion in 2006 compared to Rs.25172.25 crore in 2005. There has been a further increase of 18.2% in foreign exchange earnings in the first 7 months months of the current year 2007 with Rs.18258.57 crore as compared to the corresponding period in 2006 with an earning of Rs.15958.14 crore. The World Travel & Tourism Council, in its projection covering 174 countries, has predicted an annual growth rate of 8.8% over the next decade for India, the highest in the world. The target is to reach a figure of 10 million tourist arrivals by 2010. As per Tourism Satellite Accounting for India, tourism’s contribution to GDP of the country is 5.9% and employment in the tourism sector accounts for 8.78% of total employment in the country. MAJOR INITIATIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS International Recognitions:   Ø                   It has just been announced by the PATA Headquarters in Bangkok that the Incredible India Campaign has won the PATA Grand Award for Marketing.  It is one of only four “best of show” Grand Awards and a fitting accolade for both the campaign and the Ministry of Tourism’ s sustained efforts to position India as a world-class destination.  The achievements is all the more impressive considering that the 2007 PATA Gold Awards attracted a record 339 entries from 132 organisation. Ø    Presspace( French National Syndicate for Print advertising)has selected the Taj creative for the International Media Campaign 2006-07 as the best foreign advertising communication in a French Newspaper.  Ø                   The official website of the Ministry of Tourism, www.incredibleindia.org has been adjudged the best Government Website at the 10th National E-Governance Convention held at Bhopal in February 2007. Ø                   Incredible India TV Commercials have won the Golden Gate 2007 Award (Das Goldene Stadttor -2007) during ITB-Berlin, 2007. Ø                   The Incredible India TV Commercial for the International Campaign was adjudged the best TV Commercial in the 9th International Festival of Tour-Films 2006 at Poznan, Poland. Ø                    World Travel Awards received for (a) Asia’s Leading Destination (b)            World’s Leading Travel Destination Television Commercial and (c) World’s Leading Responsible Tourism Project. Ø                      Euro Effies Award received for the Incredible India Campaign. AD/SL