Tourism in India explained
Tourism in India is 4.6% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Unlike other sectors, tourism is not a priority sector for the Government of India. Forbes magazine ranked India as the 7th most beautiful country in 'The 50 Most Beautiful Countries In The World' rankings.[1] The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated or 5.8% of India's GDP and supported 32.1 million jobs in 2021. Even though, these numbers were lower than the pre-pandemic figures; the country's economy witnessed a significant growth in 2021 after the massive downturn during 2020. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 7.8% to by 2031 (7.2% of GDP).[2] India has established itself as the 5th largest global travel healthcare destination with an estimated market size of around $9 billion in 2019, out of the total global travel healthcare industry of $44.8 billion(2019).[3] [4] In 2014, 184,298 foreign patients travelled to India to seek medical treatment.[5]
According to the Ministry of Tourism, over 6.19 million and 1.52 million foreign tourists arrived in India in 2022 and 2021 respectively compared to 10.93 million in 2019, representing a -44% degrowth.[6] [7] India has bigger domestic tourist population so it's not dependent on foreign tourist much. This makes India the 22nd most visited nation in the world and 8th in Asia and Pacific.[8] Domestic tourist visits to all states and union territories numbered 1,036.35 million in 2012, an increase of 16.5% from 2011.[9] In 2012, National Geographic's Traveller magazine named the state Kerala as one of the "ten paradises of the world" and "50 must see destinations of a lifetime".[10] In 2022, Gujarat Tops India in Foreign Tourism with 20.17% Share in 2022. Gujarat rose as a global tourism hotspot continues with over 15.40 lakh tourists visiting in 2023.[11]
The World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021, which replaced its previous Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, ranks India 54th out of 117 countries overall.[12] The last edition of the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, published in 2019, had ranked India 34th out of 140 countries overall. The report ranked the price competitiveness of India's tourism sector 13th out of 140 countries. It mentioned that India has quite good air transport infrastructure (ranked 33rd), particularly given the country's stage of development, and reasonable ground and port infrastructure (ranked 28th). The country also scored high on natural resources (ranked 14th), and cultural resources and business travel (ranked 8th).[13] The World Tourism Organization reported that India's receipts from tourism during 2012 ranked 16th in the world, and 7th among Asian and Pacific countries.[14]
The Ministry of Tourism designs national policies for the development and promotion of tourism. In the process, the Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector including various central ministries/agencies, state governments, union territories and private sector representatives. Concerted efforts are being made to promote niche tourism products such as rural, cruise, medical and eco-tourism. The Ministry of Tourism maintains the Incredible India campaign focused on promoting tourism in India.
Visa policy of India
See main article: Visa policy of India.
India requires citizens of most countries to hold a valid passport and apply for a travel visa at their local Indian embassy or consulate before their visit. Travellers can apply directly by mail or in person, or through their local travel services company. In 2014, India implemented an online method for citizens of 156 countries to apply for an e-Tourist Visa.[15] [16]
Nationals of Bhutan, Maldives, and Nepal do not require a travel visa to enter India. Citizens of Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, DPR Korea, Jamaica, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nepal, South Africa and Uruguay are not required to pay a fee when obtaining an Indian visa.[17] [18]
During the pandemic year 2020, India had access to just 23 countries for travel, whereas now the Indian passport holders can travel visa-free to 60 countries.[19]
A Protected Area Permit (PAP) is required to enter the states of Nagaland and Sikkim and some parts of the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. A Restricted Area Permit (RAP) is required to enter the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Sikkim. Special permits are needed to visit the Lakshadweep islands.[20]
e-Tourist Visa
As a measure to boost tourism,[21] the Indian Government implemented a new visa policy in November 2014, allowing tourists and business visitors to obtain a "visa on arrival" at 28 international airports, by acquiring an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) online before arrival, without having to visit an Indian consulate or visa centre.[22] In April 2015, the "visa on arrival" scheme was renamed "e-Tourist Visa" (or "e-TV") to avoid confusion.[23]
The e-Tourist Visa facility requires a tourist to apply online on a secure Government of India website, at least four to thirty days before the date of travel. If approved, the visitor must print and carry the approved visa with their travel documents. The visa allows holders of an ETA to enter and stay anywhere in India for a period of ninety days except for citizens of US, UK, Japan and Canada. Citizens of these countries can stay for up to 180 days at a time.[24] an ETA can be obtained twice in a single calendar year.[15]
India first introduced its "visa on arrival" facility on 27 November 2014, to citizens of the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu and Vietnam.[15] On 30 July 2015, the facility was extended to China, Macau and Hong Kong.[25] On 15 August 2015, the facility was further extended to citizens of Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Belgium, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, East Timor, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, Malaysia, Mongolia, Monaco, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Turks and Caicos Islands, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela.[26] The facility should eventually be expanded to about 180 countries.As a result of the new visa policy, 56,477 tourists arrived on an e-Tourist Visa during October 2015, compared with 2,705 tourist arrivals during October 2014 (just before the facility was introduced), representing a 1987.9% increase. During the period from January to October 2015, a total of 258,182 tourists arrived on an e-Tourist Visa, a 1073.8% increase on the 21,995 tourist arrivals during the same period in 2014 (before the e-Tourist Visa was available).[27]
Statistics
Domestic tourists
During 2021, the number of Domestic Tourist Visits to the States/UTs was 67,76,32,981(677 million approx.) as compared to 61,02,16,157(610 million approx.) in 2020 registering a growth of 11.05%.[28]
Foreign tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings
Foreign tourist arrivals in India (1997–20222)[29] ! Year !! Arrivals (millions) !! % change| 1997 | 2.37 | 3.8 |
| 1998 | 2.36 | −0.7 |
| 1999 | 2.48 | 5.2 |
| 2000 | 2.65 | 6.7 |
| 2001 | 2.54 | −4.2 |
| 2002 | 2.38 | −6.0 |
| 2003 | 2.73 | 14.3 |
| 2004 | 3.46 | 26.8 |
| 2005 | 3.92 | 13.3 |
| 2006 | 4.45 | 13.5 |
| 2007 | 5.08 | 14.3 |
| 2008 | 5.28 | 4.0 |
| 2009 | 5.17 | −2.2 |
| 2010 | 5.78 | 11.8 |
| 2011 | 6.31 | 9.2 |
| 2012 | 6.58 | 4.3 |
| 2013 | 6.97 | 5.9 |
| 2014 | 7.68 | 10.2 |
| 2015 | 8.03 | 4.5 |
| 2016 | 8.80 | 9.7 |
| 2017 | 10.04 | 14.0 |
| 2018 | 10.56 | 5.2 |
| 2019 | 10.93 | 3.5 |
| 2020 | 2.74 | -74.9 |
| 2021 | 1.52 | -55.4 |
| 2022 | 6.19 | 307.2 | |
Foreign exchange earnings from tourism in India (1997–2020)! Year !! Earnings (US$ million) !! % change !! Earnings (crores) !! % change| 1997 | 2,889 | 2.0 | 10,511 | 4.6 |
| 1998 | 2,948 | 2.0 | 12,150 | 15.6 |
| 1999 | 3,009 | 2.1 | 12,951 | 6.6 |
| 2000 | 3,460 | 15 | 15,626 | 20.7 |
| 2001 | 3,198 | −7.6 | 15,083 | −3.5 |
| 2002 | 3,103 | −3.0 | 15,064 | −0.1 |
| 2003 | 4,463 | 43.8 | 20,729 | 37.6 |
| 2004 | 6,170 | 38.2 | 27,944 | 34.8 |
| 2005 | 7,493 | 21.4 | 33,123 | 18.5 |
| 2006 | 8,634 | 15.2 | 39,025 | 17.8 |
| 2007 | 10,729 | 24.3 | 44,362 | 13.7 |
| 2008 | 11,832 | 10.3 | 51,294 | 15.6 |
| 2009 | 11,136 | −5.9 | 53,754 | 4.8 |
| 2010 | 14,193 | 27.5 | 66,172 | 23.1 |
| 2011 | 16,564 | 16.7 | 83,036 | 25.5 |
| 2012 | 17,737 | 7.1 | 95,607 | 15.1 |
| 2013 | 18,445 | 4.0 | | 12.5 |
| 2014 | 20,236 | 9.7 | | 11.9 |
| 2015 | 21,071 | 4.1 | | 12 |
| 2016 | 22,923 | 9.1 | | 14.3 |
| 2017 | 27,310 | 19.1 | | 15.4 |
| 2018 | 28,586 | 4.7 | | 9.6 |
| 2019 | 30,058 | 5.1 | | 8.6 |
| 2020 | 6,958 | -76.8 | | -76.3 | |
Source countries for foreign tourist arrivals in India in 2019! Rank !! Country !! Number !! Share in %| 1 | | 2,577,727 | 23.58 |
| 2 | | 2,430,002 | 21.12 |
| 3 | | 1,512,032 | 13.83 |
| 4 | | 1,000,292 | 9.15 |
| 5 | | 380,121 | 3.38 |
| 6 | | 367,241 | 3.36 |
| 7 | | 351,859 | 3.22 |
| 8 | | 339,442 | | 3.11 |
| 9 | | 334,579 | 3.06 |
| 10 | | 264,973 | | 2.42 |
| 11 | | 251,319 | | 2.3 |
| Total of top 10 | 7,330,325 | 67.06 | |
Foreign and domestic tourist visits by State
Share of top 10 states/UTs of India in number of domestic tourist visits in 2022[31] !Rank!State/Union Territory!Numbers in Million!Share in %| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 317.91 | 18.37 |
| 2 | Tamil Nadu | 218.58 | 12.63 |
| 3 | Andhra Pradesh | 192.72 | 11.13 |
| 4 | Karnataka | 182.41 | 10.54 |
| 5 | Gujarat | 135.81 | 7.85 |
| 6 | Maharashtra | 111.30 | 6.43 |
| 7 | Rajasthan | 108.33 | 6.26 |
| 8 | West Bengal | 84.54 | 4.88 |
| 9 | Telangana | 60.75 | 3.51 |
| 10 | Uttarakhand | 54.64 | 3.16 |
| Total of top 10 states | 1467.00 | 84.75 |
| Others | 264.01 | 15.25 |
| Total | 1731.01 | 100 | |
World Heritage Sites
See main article: List of World Heritage Sites in India and Tourism in India by state.
There are 42 World Heritage Sites in India that are recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as of August 2023.[32] [33]
Gallery
- North India:
South India:
Central India:
West India:
East India:
NorthEast India:
See also
Further reading
External links
- Ministry of Tourism, India
- Visa on Arrival, Government of India
- Gujarat Tourism Official, Government Website
- Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Official Government website
- Himachal Pradesh Tourism Official Government website
- Punjab Tourism Official Government website
- Haryana Tourism Official Government website
- Delhi Tourism Official Government website
- Rajasthan Tourism Official Government website
- Uttar Pradesh Tourism, Government of India
- Karnataka Tourism Official Government website
- Madhya Pradesh Tourism Official Government website
- Maharashtra Tourism Official Government website
- Telangana Tourism Official, Government of India
- Andhra Pradesh Tourism Official, Government of India
- Bradnock, Roma (2004). Footprint India Footprint Travel Guides, Bath, UK. .
- DeBruyn, Pippa; Bain, Keith; Venkatraman, Niloufer (2010). Frommer's India.
- News: India in One, Two or Three Weeks . . 23 March 2012 .
Notes and References
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- Web site: India's Travel & Tourism could surpass pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022 . WTTC . 30 September 2022 . 30 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220930103435/https://wttc.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=9yRBCNeVfvw%3D&portalid=0 . live .
- News: India eyes to be a huge medical tourism hub in coming years . The Times of India . Singh . Harsimarbir . 13 October 2023 . 21 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230321142453/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/india-eyes-to-be-a-huge-medical-tourism-hub-in-coming-years/ . live .
- Web site: Medical value tourism in India: What makes the country a leading Medical Tourism Destination . 27 September 2021 . 13 October 2023 . 4 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230204174617/https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/travel-tourism/medical-value-tourism-in-india-what-makes-the-country-a-leading-medical-tourism-destination/2338644/ . live .
- Web site: Promotion of Medical Tourism. Press Information Bureau. 28 April 2016. 7 May 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160507161741/http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=144633. live.
- Web site: India received 6.19 million Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during 2022 as compare to 1.52 million during the same period of 2021. . 2023-08-17 . pib.gov.in . 31 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240331165259/https://pib.gov.in/ErrorPage.html?aspxerrorpath=/pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx . live .
- Web site: Foreign tourist arrivals to India 44% lesser than pre-Covid level . 2023-08-17 . Deccan Herald . en . 17 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230817080059/https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/foreign-tourist-arrivals-to-india-44-lesser-than-pre-covid-level-1220840.html . live .
- Web site: Most Visited Countries 2021. 2021-12-22. worldpopulationreview.com. en. 6 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211206200842/https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-visited-countries. live.
- Web site: India's Domestic Tourists increase by 16% crossing 1 Billion Mark. Indo-Asian News Service. news.biharprabha.com. 21 February 2014. 26 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141026131639/http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/02/indias-domestic-tourists-increase-by-16-crossing-1-billion-mark/. live.
- Web site: Aditi Sharma . Feb 7, 2014 . Kerala: A vacation in paradise - Times of India . 2023-01-16 . The Times of India . en . 16 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230116171955/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/kerala-a-vacation-in-paradise/articleshow/26251595.cms . live .
- News: Gujarat's rise as a global hotspot continues, with over 15.40 lakh already visiting in 2023. 26 September 2023.
- Web site: Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021 Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future . weforum.org . World Economic Forum . 24 June 2022 . 13 . May 2022 . 3 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220703090138/https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Travel_Tourism_Development_2021.pdf . live .
- Web site: Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 . weforum.org . 10 September 2019 . 4 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190904142913/http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TTCR_2019.pdf . live .
- Rank in Tourism . Press Information Bureau, Government of India . 7 February 2014 . 8 February 2014 . 22 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222064856/http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=103255 . live .
- Web site: e-Visa. Government of India. 2014. 26 November 2014. 19 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171119134347/https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html. live.
- Web site: 2014-11-27 . India launches e-visa facility for 43 countries . 2022-10-19 . Deccan Herald . en . 19 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221019163041/https://www.deccanherald.com/content/444168/india-launches-e-visa-facility.html . live .
- Web site: Indian Visa fee schedule for all nationalities . Consulate General of India, Hong Kong . 2 July 2018 . 29 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170329052011/http://www.cgihk.gov.in/pdf/indian-visa-fee-schedule-for-all-nationalities.pdf . live .
- Web site: Country/Territory Wise e-Visa Fee. indianvisaonline.gov.in. 2 July 2018. 12 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170912185501/https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/eTV_revised_fee_final.pdf. live.
- News: A complete list of 60 countries that offer visa on arrival to Indian travellers . The Times of India . 2023-08-17 . 0971-8257 . 5 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230805165240/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/travel-news/a-complete-list-of-60-countries-that-offer-visa-on-arrival-to-indian-travellers/articleshow/93131778.cms . live .
- Web site: Visa Information – India. indiatravels.info. 17 November 2014. 17 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180517154647/http://indiatravels.info/visa-information/. dead.
- News: India announces new visa rules to boost tourism numbers. 27 November 2014. Yahoo!. 9 June 2015. 6 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150706042931/http://news.yahoo.com/india-announces-visa-rules-boost-tourism-numbers-111726620.html. live.
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- Web site: Government Changes Name of Visa on Arrival Scheme to E-Tourist Visa. 14 April 2015. NDTV. 9 June 2015. 24 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210424221552/https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/government-changes-name-of-visa-on-arrival-scheme-to-e-tourist-visa-754929. live.
- Web site: 2019 Updated India eVisa information. 6 November 2019. 5 November 2019. 5 November 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191105204922/https://www.happyvoyaging.com/blogs/india-e-visa-information. live.
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- Web site: Archived copy . 22 September 2023 . 11 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231011102240/https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2022-06/Brief%20write%20up.pdf . live .
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