Himachal Pradesh has recorded a sharp decline in foreign tourist visits (FTVs). According to the latest government data, the hill state received only 62,806 international visitors out of India’s total 1,92,45,817 arrivals in 2023. This accounts for a mere 0.33% of the country’s total FTVs, reflecting a worrying trend for the state’s tourism sector. As against the 2022 numbers, when the state saw just 29,333 foreign tourists, the current numbers do point towards a slight increase; they are however significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels.

Even smaller states like Tripura, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Goa have outperformed Himachal in attracting foreign tourists, data by the Ministry of Tourism showed. Goa, for instance, saw 4,52,692 FTVs in 2023, while Uttarakhand recorded 1,43,027. Maharashtra led the rankings with 33,87,739 foreign tourist arrivals, while Gujarat recorded 28,06,871 in 2023.

Himachal’s pre-pandemic FTV figures were much higher, with 4,70,992 foreign tourists in 2017, 3,56,568 in 2018 and 3,82,876 in 2019. However, the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the sector, causing FTV numbers to plummet to just 43,000 in 2020. Despite a strong recovery in domestic tourism, with 1.5 crore visitors in 2023, foreign arrivals remain at just 20% of pre-COVID levels.

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Tourism stakeholders in Himachal have expressed concerns over inadequate support from central tourism schemes such as ‘Swadesh Darshan’, ‘Eco-Tourism’ and ‘PRASHAD’. According to a report by The Tribune, local tourism entrepreneur Rishi claimed that the state has been largely excluded from promotional campaigns like Dekho Apna Desh and Bharat Parv, which have significantly benefited other regions.

The report further quotes a tourism beneficiary Atul who shed light on disparity in funding allocations under the Swadesh Darshan scheme. While several states received around Rs 2,000 crore, Himachal was allotted only Rs 64.54 crore, the report attributed Atul as saying. Of the 76 projects sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan since 2014 and the 34 projects approved under Swadesh Darshan 2.0, Himachal reportedly received only one project worth Rs 64.54 crore.

Without immediate intervention, the state risks losing its once-thriving international tourism market to more aggressively promoted destinations across India.