India’s tourism industry witnessed a staggering 124% rise in foreign tourist arrivals in 2023, reaching 1.92 crore visitors, Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told Lok Sabha on Monday. This impressive growth marks a significant jump from 85 lakh visitors in 2022.
Leading the surge, states like Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal welcomed the highest number of international tourists. The minister, however, did not provide specifics on the number of travellers visiting these states.
Shekhawat highlighted the various initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism to boost foreign tourist arrivals. These efforts include programs like ‘Swadesh Darshan’, ‘PRASHAD’ (National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive), and financial assistance under the ‘Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development’. These schemes aim to enhance infrastructure and facilities at tourism destinations across the country.
The Ministry also promoted India’s tourism globally through campaigns like ‘Dekho Apna Desh’, ‘Chalo India’, and events such as the International Tourism Mart and Bharat Parv. Additionally, the launch of the Incredible India Content Hub, a comprehensive digital platform, provided tourists with rich resources about India’s tourism offerings, including high-quality images, films, and brochures.
India’s tourism sector also embraced niche markets, with thematic tourism initiatives promoting wellness tourism, culinary tourism, rural tourism, and eco-tourism, among others. The government focused on enhancing visitor experiences through capacity-building initiatives like ‘Incredible India Tourist Facilitator’ (IITF) and ‘Paryatan Mitra’.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Tourism Ministry also worked to improve air connectivity to key tourist destinations under the RCS-UDAN Scheme, operationalising 53 tourism routes.
Additionally, India’s e-Visa scheme, which is available to citizens of 167 countries, has been expanded with nine sub-categories, including e-Tourist Visa, e-Business Visa, e-Medical Visa, and e-Conference Visa, making it easier for international tourists to visit India.
(With ANI Inputs)