New Delhi: About 61.91 lakh foreign tourists arrived in India this year (January-August period) against 59.71 lakh arrivals registered in the same period last year, the government said on Monday. In a reply to a Lok Sabha question on the first day of the Parliament’s winter session, Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that total foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) stood at 9.52 million (90.52 lakh) last year.
“As per the UNWTO Barometer published in September 2024, export revenues from international tourism in 2023 were recorded at $1.8 trillion, which includes receipts from tourism activities as well as passenger transport,” the minister said.
The tourism sector contributed 5 per cent to the country’s GDP in 2022-23, a significant surge from 1.75 per cent in 2021-22. The Ministry of Tourism undertakes various promotional activities in important and potential tourist-generating markets with the objective of showcasing India’s tourism potential and promoting tourism in the country, including the state of Himachal Pradesh.
“The Chalo India initiative has been launched by the Ministry to encourage the huge Indian diaspora to become Incredible India ambassadors and encourage their five non-Indian friends to visit India, every year,” the minister informed.
A Chalo India portal has also been developed for registration of the Indian diaspora. There are about five million OCI card holders. While each OCI holder can nominate up to five people, the total number of free e-visas to be granted under the initiative is one lakh.
The ministry has undertaken several steps to improve the quality of infrastructure and facilities at various tourist destinations across the country under schemes such as ‘Swadesh Darshan’, ‘PRASHAD’, and ‘Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development’, in collaboration with States/UTs, Central agencies and private stakeholders.
The Ministry of Tourism has partnered with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Railways, and Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways to achieve this goal.
The ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD) scheme provides financial assistance to the state governments and union territories administration for the development of tourism infrastructure at the pre-identified pilgrimage destinations and heritage cities.
