India Sees Surge In Foreign Tourists Despite Decline In Visitors From Bangladesh

Foreign tourist arrivals in India increased by four lakh in 2024 compared to 2023, the government told Parliament on Monday.

The surge comes despite a slump in tourist footfall from Bangladesh, a major contributor to the FTAs in India.

The country recorded a footfall of 99.52 lakh foreign tourists in 2024, while 2023 saw 95.21 lakh foreign tourists visiting India, Tourism Minister Gajendra Shekhawat said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

Bangladesh tourists visiting India declined by approximately four lakh between 2023 and 2024, from 21 lakh to 17.5 lakh. This development occurred in the backdrop of political turmoil in the country.

Tourists from United States are the biggest contributor to the FTAs in India with approximately 18 lakh tourists having travelled to the country last year; and while the numbers from Bangladesh have declined, it is still ranks second on the list. Other countries on the top 10 list include — United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Germany, France, and Singapore.

International Tourist Arrivals have also recorded a jump from close to 189 lakh to 205 lakh. International tourists include non-resident Indians or NRIs.

Tourism sector's contribution to Indian GDP also saw in uptick during 2023 and 2024 to 5.22% from 5.09% during 2022-2023, once travel operations began recovering post the corona virus pandemic.

Total jobs created in the sector in 2024 were close to 8.43 crore, while in 2023 jobs in tourism stood at 7.61 crore.