The correct answer is (c) 2008-09.
Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India registered a decline of 2.8% in 2008-09 over the previous year. This was mainly due to the global financial crisis, which led to a decline in tourist arrivals from major source markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The decline was also attributed to the high cost of air travel and the weak rupee.
In 2006-07, FTAs grew by 12.9%, while in 2007-08, they grew by 10.7%. In 2009-10, FTAs grew by 10.4%.
The following are the reasons for the decline in FTAs in 2008-09:
- The global financial crisis led to a decline in tourist arrivals from major source markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
- The high cost of air travel also contributed to the decline in FTAs.
- The weak rupee made it more expensive for foreign tourists to visit India.
The government took a number of measures to boost FTAs in 2009-10, including:
- Launching a new tourism campaign to promote India as a tourist destination.
- Reducing the cost of air travel by providing subsidies to airlines.
- Making it easier for foreign tourists to obtain visas.
These measures helped to boost FTAs in 2009-10. However, the global economic slowdown continued to have a negative impact on tourism, and FTAs grew at a slower pace than in previous years.