MANGALURU: The Ministry of Tourism, in response to a query in the Rajya Sabha, released comprehensive data showing trends in Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) to India and Indian Nationals' Departures (INDs) for tourism from 2019 to 2024.
The figures, provided by Minister of Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, reveal a strong rebound in both inbound and outbound travel following the COVID-19 slump.
India received 99.5 lakh foreign tourists in 2024, a significant increase from 64.4 lakh in 2022 and approaching the pre-pandemic high of 1.09 crore in 2019.
Meanwhile, Indian outbound tourism has surged, with 3.08 crore Indians travelling abroad in 2024, up from 2.78 crore in 2023, and surpassing the 2019 figure of 2.69 crore.
Among the top contributors to India's tourism in 2024 were the United States with 18.04 lakh tourists, followed by Bangladesh (17.5 lakh) and the United Kingdom (10.2 lakh).
Other notable countries showing strong arrival numbers included Australia (5.18 lakh), Canada (4.76 lakh), and Sri Lanka (2.81 lakh). A few countries showed substantial recovery and even growth post-pandemic, such as Japan (1.94 lakh) and Germany (2.56 lakh).
On the other hand, Indian nationals traveling abroad reached new highs.
The UAE remained the top destination in 2024 with 77.8 lakh Indian travellers, followed by Saudi Arabia (34.2 lakh) and the United States (21.4 lakh).
Thailand (19.1 lakh) and Singapore (15.3 lakh) also saw considerable traffic, indicating the growing popularity of Southeast Asia among Indian tourists.
The data reveals that in 2024, foreign tourists arrived in India from over 65 countries, showcasing the global appeal of India as a travel destination.
Similarly, Indian nationals travelled to more than 65 international destinations during the same year, reflecting the growing aspiration and mobility of Indian tourists.
Destinations like Vietnam, Australia, and Indonesia showed impressive year-on-year growth in attracting Indian tourists, with Vietnam growing from 1.23 lakh in 2022 to nearly 4 lakh in 2024, and Australia increasing from 4.89 lakh to 6.61 lakh in the same period.
The data reflects a clear recovery trajectory for global travel involving India, with a positive outlook for both inbound tourism and outbound travel by Indian citizens.
While several markets have regained momentum, others are still catching up, likely influenced by geopolitical and economic factors.
Interestingly, a few countries continued to lag behind pre-pandemic levels. China, which sent 3.39 lakh tourists to India in 2019, registered just 38,960 in 2024.
Similarly, Afghanistan, which once contributed over a lakh visitors in 2019, saw a drastic drop to just over 1,200 in 2024.