Domestic tourism in Rajasthan up 12 times, foreigners' numbers see spike

The number of domestic tourists visiting Rajasthan has increased about 12 times in the last four years, with the footfall of foreign tourists also witnessing a sharp uptick since the Covid-induced slump.

According to the Tourism Department, in 2020, more than 15.1 million domestic tourists visited the state. The number shot up to over 179 million in 2023.

A total of 324.4 million domestic tourists visited Rajasthan from January 2020 to December 2023. On the other hand, over 2.22 million foreign tourists visited the desert state to witness its historical heritage during the same period.

"Rajasthan has been a major tourist attraction among the tourists. After the corona pandemic, a large number of domestic tourists have started visiting the state. The number of foreign tourists have also significantly risen," Deputy Director of Tourism Department, Daleep Singh Rathore, said.

The freshly elected BJP government's focus is to make the state a leader in the tourism sector in the country.

Recent visits of Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala and French President Emmanuel Macron to the state have helped Rajasthan present its image as a foreign destination of choice for overseas elites.

Erstwhile Jaipur royal family member and deputy chief minister Diya Kumari, who holds the tourism department portfolio, is actively holding meetings with foreign delegations to that purpose.

"The government is determined to transform Rajasthan into a premier tourism destination. A 100-day action agenda has been given to the department officials. A comprehensive strategy needs to be formulated and implemented," Diya Kumari said.

She said that her plan involves collaborating with various departments to enhance the rail, road, and air connectivity to the state.

Establishing quality basic infrastructure, improving hospitality services also is essential for the aim, she said.

Diya Kumari revealed the tourism numbers recently when she was asked for them by BJP MLA Kalicharan Saraf in the Rajasthan Assembly.

According to her reply, nearly 180 million domestic and 1.7 million foreign tourists came to Rajasthan in 2023.

A total of 15.1 million domestic tourists and 446,000 foreign tourists visited Rajasthan in 2020.

In 2021, 21.9 million domestic and 34,806 foreign tourists visited the state, while in 2022, it played host to 108.3 million domestic and 39,684 foreign tourists.

Saraf had asked for year-wise details of domestic and foreign tourist visits made in the state from January 2020 to December 2023.

The hotel association in the state has been upbeat since the French President's visit to Jaipur, as it thinks the visit will open new doors of opportunity.

"During the corona pandemic, the number of foreign tourists dropped, while domestic tourists still came in large numbers. After the French President's visit, new opportunities will come as French tourists used to come in large numbers before the corona pandemic," said Jaipur hotels association President M Hussain.