HAMPI/HOSAPETE: UNESCO World Heritage Site Hampi, renowned for its vibrant cultural landscape, has recorded a steep decline in foreign tourist arrivals this year. Up to October, only 3,818 foreign tourists visited Hampi in 2024–25, a drastic fall compared with the 19,838 who arrived in the previous year. In contrast, domestic tourism remains strong, with 4,46,441 Indian visitors recorded during the same period.
While domestic arrivals have stayed relatively steady, international numbers have witnessed consistent changes since the pandemic. Tourist arrivals in 2022–23 included 15,340 foreign visitors, rising to 20,080 in 2023–24, but the current year has seen the figure fall sharply.
Stakeholders attribute this decline to a combination of safety concerns and persistent issues related to infrastructure. Two major incidents reported near Sanapur last summer, a sexual assault and the murder of a foreign traveller, have cast a long shadow on Hampi’s global image.
Guides and travel operators say that foreign visitors increasingly begin their enquiries with a single question: “Is Hampi safe?” Several group tours from Europe and East Asia were reportedly cancelled after that incident.
Foreign tourists often cite poor sanitation, limited availability of information centres, and unreliable transportation as major hurdles. Tourism associations demanded strengthened security measures, dedicated tourism policing, improved last-mile connectivity, enhanced sanitation, and targeted international promotional campaigns. A long-standing proposal for an international airport near Hampi has also resurfaced.
Virupakshi V Hampi, president, Villages Welfare Association Under Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority, said that it is disappointing that the number of foreign tourists visiting is declining. Local tourism operators warn that the drop is already affecting livelihoods. In response, district officials said that proposals for safety-awareness programmes and infrastructure upgrades are under review, and consultations with local stakeholders are underway.