Page last updated: 18 November 2024
India offers a variety of experiences, showcasing its diverse culture, historical landmarks, spiritual destinations, and natural beauty, attracting millions of visitors annually.
How many people visit India each year?
Over 1.7 billion international and domestic tourists visited India in 2023. 1
- In 2019, India welcomed 10.9 million international visitors. When the pandemic began in 2020, this number dropped by 75% to 2.7 million.
- By 2021, India experienced a further 44% decline in international tourism with 1.5 million visitors.
- Inbound tourism rose to 6.9 million visitors in 2022, and the increasing trend continued in 2023 with 9.3 million visitors. However, this was still 17% less than 2019 (pre-pandemic).
How many tourists visited India in 2024?
- According to a report by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), India is expected to see 13.34 million inbound tourists in 2024.
How many tourists visited India in 2023?
- In 2023, India welcomed a total of 1.7 billion visitors, with 9.2 million being international tourists and 1.7 billion domestic travellers.
- Still, 2019 was considered the peak year for both international and domestic travellers with 2.3 billion visitors, 25% greater than in 2023.
How much do tourists spend in India every year?
India ranked 14th in terms of the highest international tourism revenue in 2022, with international tourists spending $11.09 billion.
- Inbound tourist expenditure in India generated $4.8 billion in 2019.
- This number decreased to $5.4 billion in 2020 due to coronavirus travel restrictions and fewer international visitors. However, this increased by 17% in 2021 to $6.32 billion.
How much do tourists spend in India in 2024?
- In 2024, international visitors are projected to spend INR 2.85 trillion (USD 34.2 billion) and domestic tourists are forecasted to spend INR 16 trillion (USD 192 billion).
How much did tourists spend in India in 2023?
- India generated $11.09 billion in international tourism revenue in FY22 – 23 and ranked 14th in terms of the highest international tourism revenue.
Which country visits India the most?
The leading sources of foreign tourists to India are France, closely followed by Spain, the United States, Turkey, and Italy.
- In 2022, France was the top source of international visitors to India, accounting for 79.4 million visits and holding an 8.2% market share. Kuwait also contributed significantly, with 71.7 million tourists.
- The United States accounted for a 5.3% share with 50.9 million international visits.
- 50.5 million tourists were from Turkey and 49.8 million from Italy, both having 5% market share.
How long do visitors stay in India?
- In 2022, international tourists generally spent 27.44 nights in India while domestic tourists spent 16.7 nights exploring India’s popular cities and attractions.
- Typically, foreign visitors to India stay for a minimum of about 6.4 days and a maximum of 24.5 days.
Economic Impact – India Tourism Statistics
The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2023 Economic Impact Research (EIR) ranked India among the top 10 with the highest direct contribution of $68.5 billion to the GDP from the travel and tourism industry in 2022.2
- The travel and tourism industry generated 295 million jobs in 2022, accounting for 9% of all jobs across the country.
- Travel spending by international and domestic visitors rose to nearly $199.6 billion in 2022.
- However, 2019 still holds the record with tourists spending $217.3 billion.
What are India’s peak tourist months?
- July 2022 was the most popular month in India, welcoming 775,580 visitors. Tourists were influenced by school vacations and favourable weather in hill stations and northern regions.
- August had 673,569 visitors. This month marked the continuation of the summer vacation and featured festivals like Raksha Bandhan and Independence Day.
- June recorded 668,724 visitors. Tourists were drawn to destinations particularly scenic during this period, such as Kerala and Goa.
- December welcomed 690,417 visitors, with popular destinations like Rajasthan, Goa, and Kerala offering pleasant weather and festive events.
India Tourism Statistics 2023
In 2023, a total of 1.74 billion international and domestic tourists visited India.
- Domestic travellers accounted for 1.71 billion, making up 99% of the total tourists, while international tourists amounted to 9.23 million.
- The vast majority of visitors to India are domestic travellers, consistently comprising above 90% of the total visitors.
| International and Domestic Visitors in India Each Year | ||
| Year | International (in millions) | Domestic (in millions) |
| 2011 | 6.31 | 864.53 |
| 2012 | 6.58 | 1,045.05 |
| 2013 | 6.97 | 1,142.53 |
| 2014 | 7.68 | 1,282.80 |
| 2015 | 8.03 | 1,431.97 |
| 2016 | 8.80 | 1,615.39 |
| 2017 | 10.04 | 1,657.55 |
| 2018 | 10.56 | 1,853.79 |
| 2019 | 10.93 | 2,321.98 |
| 2020 | 2.74 | 610.22 |
| 2021 | 1.52 | 677.63 |
| 2022 | 6.44 | 1,731.01 |
| 2023 | 9.23 | 1,730.00 |
Why do people visit India?
People visit India mainly for leisure and holidays, with 36.5% of tourists drawn by its cultural, historical, and scenic attractions.
- Many people visit India for varied reasons.
- The Indian diaspora alone accounted for 21% of visits, showing strong ties to the country.
- Business and professional trips brought in 10.2% of tourists, while 7.4% of travellers came for medical purposes, attracted by India’s healthcare.
- About 6% visited for education, and 16.5% for reasons like religious tourism, cultural exchanges, and family visits.
- 7.7% of visitors specify other reasons for visiting.
- The Indian diaspora alone accounted for 21% of visits, showing strong ties to the country.
Which attractions are the most visited in India?
- The Taj Mahal is the most visited attraction in India with 369,600 international visitors in 2022. It is an iconic white marble mausoleum in Agra, built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
- Agra Fort (139,400 visitors) is a UNESCO World Heritage site that was the main residence of the Mughal emperors.
- Qutub Minar (115,247 visitors) is the tallest brick minaret in the world, located in Delhi and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Humayun’s Tomb (100,136 visitors) is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Delhi, known for its Mughal architecture and Persian-style gardens.
- Fatehpur Sikri (62,238 visitors) is a historic city near Agra, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its Mughal architecture.
How many people visit the Taj Mahal each year?
- A total of 5.44 million tourists visited Taj Mahal in 2022. This includes 5.05 million domestic visitors and 396,600 international tourists.
How many people visit the National Museum of India every year?
- The National Museum of India in New Delhi receives between 600,000 and 700,000 visitors each year, with 2,500 to 3,000 visitors per day.
- The National Museum of India has over 200,000 works of art but only displays six to seven per cent of its collection at any given time. The remaining works are exhibited in temporary exhibitions or on a rotational basis.
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