India’s tourism sector is witnessing steady growth supported by improving connectivity, infrastructure development and a series of policy measures aimed at making travel easier and safer for both domestic and international tourists.
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared details of these initiatives in a written reply in Lok Sabha, highlighting improvements in foreign tourist arrivals, digital travel systems, infrastructure development projects and efforts to strengthen India’s global tourism profile.
According to official data, foreign tourist arrivals in India have shown a consistent recovery after the pandemic years. Arrivals increased from 27,44,766 in 2020 to 15,27,114 in 2021 during the period affected by global travel restrictions. The sector began recovering in 2022 with 64,37,467 arrivals and further strengthened in 2023 with 95,20,928 foreign tourists visiting the country.
In 2024, foreign tourist arrivals reached 99,51,722, reflecting a sustained rebound in international travel to India. The Ministry of Tourism noted that the rising trend in tourist arrivals has also translated into stronger economic contribution from the tourism sector.
Tourism continues to play an important role in India’s economic landscape. Tourism related economic activity, including both direct and indirect contributions, has shown substantial growth in recent years. Tourism GDP stood at 1,04,09,8995 lakh rupees in 2019-20, representing about 5.2 percent of the country’s total GDP.
During the pandemic period, tourism GDP declined sharply to 29,61,7002 lakh rupees in 2020-21, accounting for about 1.5 percent of GDP. The sector began recovering in 2021-22 with tourism GDP rising to 41,09,8373 lakh rupees or 1.7 percent of GDP.
The recovery accelerated in 2022-23 when tourism GDP rose to 1,36,83,3610 lakh rupees, restoring its share to 5.1 percent of the national GDP. In 2023-24, tourism GDP further increased to 1,57,37,2988 lakh rupees, accounting for about 5.2 percent of India’s GDP.
The Ministry of Tourism noted that the Bureau of Immigration collects and provides national level data on foreign tourist arrivals. While the bureau provides consolidated figures, regional or state wise breakdowns of these arrivals are not available at the national immigration level.
However, the Ministry compiles separate statistics on foreign tourist visits to individual states and union territories based on data submitted by the respective governments.
As per the latest data for 2024, the states that recorded the highest number of foreign tourist visits include Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
The Ministry of Tourism has been actively promoting India as a global tourism destination through international partnerships and marketing initiatives.
India maintains strong engagement with global tourism organizations such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization, ASEAN tourism forums, the G20 tourism track, BRICS and the Pacific Asia Travel Association.
At present, India has 46 active Memoranda of Understanding with various countries and international organizations aimed at strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation in tourism promotion, tourism research, investment and policy development.
These partnerships support collaborative tourism initiatives and enhance India’s presence in the global tourism landscape.
Promotion of Indian tourism products and destinations is also carried out through international roadshows, digital campaigns and participation in major global travel exhibitions.
The Ministry of Tourism regularly participates in leading international travel trade events including the World Travel Market in London, FITUR in Madrid and ITB Berlin. These events serve as important platforms for showcasing India’s diverse tourism offerings ranging from cultural heritage and spiritual tourism to wellness tourism, adventure tourism and eco tourism.
Participation in such events also enables business to business meetings between Indian tourism stakeholders and international tour operators, helping expand inbound travel opportunities and strengthen the Incredible India brand worldwide.
Alongside international promotion, the government is also focusing on improving ease of travel for visitors through digital platforms and streamlined procedures.
One of the major initiatives in this direction is the introduction of the e visa facility which allows foreign travellers to apply for visas online from anywhere in the world. The e visa system has simplified the visa process and reduced procedural barriers for legitimate travellers including tourists, business visitors, professionals and students.
The digital visa system forms part of a broader effort to modernize India’s immigration and travel infrastructure while maintaining strong security mechanisms.
The government has also introduced a fully digital system for the classification of accommodation units and recognition of tourism service providers through the National Integrated Database of Hospitality Industry portal.
Through this portal, hotels, resorts, homestays and other tourism related establishments can apply online for official classification and recognition. The platform allows digital submission of applications, online processing and payment through an integrated payment gateway, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency.
The Ministry of Tourism has also set up a 24 hour multilingual tourist helpline to support travellers visiting India. The helpline operates through the toll free number 1800111363 and the short code 1363 and provides assistance in twelve languages including ten international languages.
The service offers information about travel destinations and provides guidance to tourists in distress while travelling within India.
Improving connectivity to tourist destinations remains another major focus area for tourism development.
The Ministry of Tourism works in coordination with several other ministries including the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways to strengthen connectivity between major tourism hubs and emerging destinations.
A key initiative in this regard is the Regional Connectivity Scheme Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Under this programme, the Ministry of Tourism provides financial support in the form of Viability Gap Funding under the Champion Services Sector Scheme to encourage air connectivity to tourism destinations.
A total of 53 tourism routes have been identified under this initiative to improve accessibility to important as well as lesser known destinations across the country.
These routes include connections such as Ahmedabad to Udaipur, Amritsar to Jaipur, Bangalore to Mysore, Rajamundry to Vishakhapatnam, Kolkata to Amritsar, Dimapur to Imphal, Varanasi to Bhubaneswar, Delhi to Khajuraho and Guwahati to Hollongi among others.
Officials said the initiative aims to strengthen regional tourism networks and make travel more convenient for tourists visiting culturally and historically significant destinations.
Infrastructure development has also been strengthened through central government tourism schemes.
While development of tourism products such as caravan tourism is primarily undertaken by State Governments and Union Territory administrations, the central government supports tourism infrastructure through schemes such as Swadesh Darshan, Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive and Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development.
Under these schemes, central financial assistance is provided to states based on project proposals and detailed project reports submitted by them.
In Andhra Pradesh, multiple tourism infrastructure projects have been sanctioned under various schemes with a total central assistance of about 707.91 crore rupees.
Projects implemented under Swadesh Darshan 1.0 include the development of tourism circuits covering Kakinada, Hope Island, Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Passarlapudi, Aduru, Yanam and Kotipally with a sanctioned cost of 67.83 crore rupees.
Another project covering Nellore, Pulikat Lake, Ubblamadugu Waterfalls, Nelapattu, Kothakoduru, Mypadu and Ramateertham was developed with an investment of 49.55 crore rupees.
The Buddhist tourism circuit connecting Shalihundam, Bavikonda, Bojjanakonda, Amaravati and Anupu was developed with a sanctioned cost of 35.24 crore rupees.
Under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 programme, projects such as the Borra Cave Experience in the Araku Lambasingi region and the Suryalanka Beach Experience in Bapatla are currently under implementation.
Other initiatives include the Challenge Based Destination Development projects such as the development of Buddhist heritage experiences at Nagarjuna Sagar and the Ahobilam spiritual tourism project.
Several pilgrimage tourism infrastructure projects have also been implemented under the PRASHAD scheme including the development of Amaravati town in Guntur district and the development of the Srisailam temple complex.
Additional projects include tourism infrastructure development at Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narsimha Swami temple at Simhachalam in Visakhapatnam and the development of pilgrimage tourism infrastructure in Annavaram temple town.
The government has also supported projects such as the Gandikota Fort and Gorge tourism development initiative and the Akhanda Godavari riverfront tourism project.
Infrastructure projects implemented through central agencies include a sound and light show facility at Puttaparthy, development of a cruise cum coastal cargo terminal at the outer harbour of Visakhapatnam port, modernization works at Tirupati railway station and the introduction of glass top tourist coaches on the Vizag to Araku Valley railway route.
Officials stated that continued investments in connectivity, infrastructure development and tourism promotion are expected to further strengthen India’s position as a major global tourism destination while creating employment opportunities and supporting local economies across the country.
