Foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India from January to June 2024 stood at nearly 4.78 million, with Bangladesh and the US being the top two source countries, according to official data issued by the Ministry of Tourism. The figures, shared on Friday to mark World Tourism Day, reveal that inbound tourism in the country is still trailing pandemic levels.
The Ministry of Tourism provided figures for June as well as the January-June period. FTAs in June 2024 were 7,06,045 compared to 6,48,008 in June 2023 and 7,26,446 in June 2019, showing a growth of nine percent over 2023 and a decline of 2.8 percent from 2019.
"The FTAs during the period January-June 2024 were 47,78,374 as compared to 43,80,239 in January-June 2023 and 52,96,025 in January-June 2019, registering a growth of 9.1 percent and minus 9.8 percent with respect to 2023 and 2019 respectively," the ministry stated.
The data showed that Bangladesh (21.55 percent) and the US (17.56 percent) were the leading source countries for FTAs from January to June 2024, followed by the UK (9.82 percent), Canada (4.5 percent), and Australia (4.32 percent). In June 2024, Bangladesh continued to lead with 28.49 percent of FTAs, followed by the US (22.59 percent), the UK (6.10 percent), Australia (3.74 percent), and Canada (3.01 percent).
Leisure, holidays, and recreation formed the largest segment for FTAs in terms of travel purpose. However, the Ministry of Tourism noted that student-led protests in Bangladesh, which began on July 1 and led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, resulted in India halting full-fledged visa issuance for Bangladeshi citizens.
A report by Crisil Market Intelligence and Analytics on Wednesday stated that inbound tourism in India is still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. The FTAs in the first half of 2024 amounted to 4.78 million, around 90 percent of the figure for the same period in 2019. However, the report noted that foreign exchange earnings (FEE) from tourism have increased, indicating higher per person spending by tourists.
Globally, the report said, FTAs have recovered to 96 percent of pre-COVID levels by July 2024, putting India behind the global curve. In the pre-pandemic year of 2019, India received 10.93 million foreign tourists, compared to 9.24 million in 2023.
Countries in the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and South Korea, remain important markets for Indian tourism. In July, the government informed Parliament that India received 1.22 million tourists from these six countries out of a total of 9.24 million foreign tourists in 2023.
Former Union Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh expressed optimism, stating, "Yes, it will return to pre-pandemic levels as international travel is returning to normal levels. Geo-political tensions in Europe and the Middle East, however, are negative factors, affecting faster return to normalcy."
The ministry also highlighted a rise in foreign exchange earnings during the January-June period of 2024. The FEE stood at USD 15.339 billion, compared to USD 13.041 billion in 2023 and USD 14.534 billion in 2019, showing growth of 17.62 percent and 5.54 percent over 2023 and 2019, respectively.
Indian National Departures (INDs) also saw growth, with 1,50,22,731 departures recorded in January-June 2024, up 13.73 percent from 2023 and 12.28 percent from 2019.
The Crisil report emphasized that Indian tourists are becoming a significant driver of global tourism, accounting for 2.4 percent of the global outbound market in 2019. Economic recovery is a key factor, supported by rising disposable incomes, improved airline connectivity, and simplified visa processes. "Changing travel preferences, such as a growing demand for unique experiences like wellness retreats and adventure trips, are also influencing outbound travel," the report added.
On Friday, the Ministry of Tourism also announced the winners of the Best Tourism Villages Competition 2024. The second edition of the competition saw 991 applications from 30 states and union territories, with 36 villages being recognized across eight categories. Winners included Aru village in Jammu and Kashmir for adventure tourism, Kumarakom in Kerala for agri-tourism, Pranpur in Madhya Pradesh for craft, Andro in Manipur for heritage, and Tar village in Ladakh for responsible tourism.
In an effort to engage citizens in tourism development, the Ministry of Tourism is also introducing feedback mechanisms at airports and railway stations across the country. These will allow tourists to provide feedback on their visits to tourist attractions and destinations.
(This story has been slightly reworked from an auto-generated PTI feed.)
