99 Lakh Foreign Tourists Visited India in 2024; US Tops the List

More than 99 lakh foreign tourists visited India in 2024, while over 3 crore Indians travelled to other countries, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said in a written reply that 99,51,722 foreign tourists arrived in India this year. The numbers have steadily gone up from 95 lakh in 2023 and around 64 lakh in 2022, as per data from the Bureau of Immigration.

The highest number of tourists came from the United States, followed by Bangladesh and the United Kingdom.

On the other hand, more than 77 lakh Indians visited the United Arab Emirates, making it the most visited country by Indian travellers in 2024. Saudi Arabia was next with over 34 lakh visitors from India, followed by the United States, which saw over 21 lakh Indian travellers.

Earlier, on July 25, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh spoke in the Lok Sabha about the government’s efforts to boost tourism and attract more foreign visitors to India. He said tourism plays an important role in creating jobs and strengthening the economy.

The minister explained that India is promoting itself in other countries through travel fairs, roadshows, meetings with international tour operators, and online campaigns. He also said that international flight connections have improved, which is helping bring more tourists to India.

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