1 / 11Tourism encompasses more than just leisure travel; it’s a crucial economic engine for numerous nations. It creates both direct and indirect job opportunities for millions and plays a key role in generating essential foreign exchange for the national treasury. Although India is becoming a popular tourist destination, it has yet to break into the top 10 countries for foreign tourist arrivals. (Image: Shutterstock)
2 / 111) In 2024, India’s Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism reached $35.01 billion, marking an 8.78% increase from 2023, during which India earned $32.189 billion from foreign tourists. Significantly, India earned only $3.2 billion in FEEs in 2001. (Image: Shutterstock)
3 / 112) In 2024, India represented 1.40% of total international arrivals and contributed 2.02% to global tourism receipts. India’s ranking in total foreign exchange earnings from tourism improved to 15th position from the 36th position in 2001, when it held a mere 0.69% share globally. (Image: AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
4 / 113) In FY24, the travel and tourism industry in India generated roughly 84.63 million jobs, encompassing both direct and indirect employment. This sector contributed 5.22% to India’s economy, with direct contributions amounting to ₹8.18 lakh crore. (Image: AP Photo)
5 / 114) In 2024, India recorded 20.57 million International Tourist Arrivals (ITAs), ranking 20th globally. However, 51.6% of these arrivals were non-resident Indians, with the remainder being foreign tourists. More than 10.6 million NRIs entered India in 2024, which represents a 52.15% increase compared to the pre-pandemic levels in 2019. (Image: Shutterstock)
6 / 115) Although overall ITAs exceeded pre-pandemic figures in 2024, the amount of foreign tourists remained below 2019 levels. In 2024, over 9.95 million foreign tourists visited India, which is a 9% reduction compared to 2019. (Image: Reuters)
7 / 116) The leading sources of foreign tourist arrivals in 2024 were the United States, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Together, these five countries made up around 51% of total FTAs in India. (Image: AP Photo/Shonal Ganguly)
8 / 114) In 2024, India recorded 20.57 million International Tourist Arrivals (ITAs), ranking 20th globally. However, 51.6% of these arrivals were non-resident Indians, with the remainder being foreign tourists. More than 10.6 million NRIs entered India in 2024, which represents a 52.15% increase compared to the pre-pandemic levels in 2019. (Image: Shutterstock)
9 / 118) An annual report indicated that substantial government investments, including 517 new air routes and 157 airports, along with a road network expansion of 145,000 kilometers, positioned India favorably in terms of price competitiveness (18th), air transport (26th), and ground and port infrastructure (25th). Consequently, India was ranked 39th in the Travel and Tourism Development Index last year. (Image: Shutterstock)
10 / 119) Medical tourism has become a vital segment for attracting foreign tourists, accounting for 6.48% of total foreign arrivals in 2024. Major sources of medical tourism last year included South Asia (20.27%), Africa (18.93%), and West Asia (17.88%). Notably, India ranked 10th on the Medical Tourism Index (MTI) in 2024. (Image: PTI)
11 / 1110) December marked the highest number of foreign tourist arrivals during India’s winter season, accounting for 10.66% of total FTAs in 2024. When combined with February (10.37%), January (9.86%), and November (9.79%), these winter months made up over 40% of total tourist arrivals. (Image: Reuters)
