Chandigarh, Aug 20 - The Mumbai terror attacks, the global financial meltdown and the swine flu scare have failed to deter foreign tourists from visiting Chandigarh in steadily increasing numbers, officials said Thursday.

'Despite so many worldwide deterrents, there has been a significant increase in the number of foreign tourists coming to Chandigarh. From January to July this year, more than 20,000 foreign tourists visited the city against 18,465 in the corresponding period last year,' said Vinod Kalia, deputy director tourism, here.

'In 2008, total of 34,762 foreign tourists come here whereas in 2007 only 26,567 had come. This year we are expecting to break all previous records.'

Foreign tourists have also expressed their liking for the union territory, which is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.

Hiroaki Tanaka, a web designer from Japan, said: 'My first impression about Chandigarh is that it looks like America.