SERENE ATMOSPHERE: Tourists enjoying a boat ride in Pondicherry. — File photo.

PONDICHERRY: There has been an improvement in foreign tourists flow into Pondicherry in the last three years. However, the growth in domestic tourism was only marginal.

It comes after the downtrend in the arrival of foreign and domestic tourists in 2001 and 2002.

Figures available with the Tourism Department here for the last nine years show there has been a marked improvement in the flow of foreign tourists. After the boom in 1999, which saw 24.22 per cent growth compared to the previous year, it was on a downslide during the subsequent three years. In fact 2001 and 2002 saw a negative growth of 7.39 and 9.14 percentage.

Good years

Again in 2003, the Union Territory saw an increase in foreign tourists arrival.

Around 25,559 tourists arrived, an increase of 27.19 per cent compared to 2002. The number went up to 32,053 in 2004.

The next year, till September, more than 25,000 foreign tourists visited Pondicherry.

On the domestic tourism front, the picture is not that rosy. The best was during the year 1999 and 2000, which reported 10.43 and 17.32 per cent increase, respectively.

The three years from 2001 were the worst beginning with a 10 per cent negative growth.

The Government has decided to develop a five star resort in 10 acres of land at Murungapakkam, some 4 km from the town.

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