India's foreign tourist arrivals fall 8% to just 9 million

India is struggling to attract foreign tourists despite its vast cultural and natural attractions, with foreign tourist arrivals falling 8.1% last year to 9.15 million, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

The figure was 16% below the pre-pandemic peak of 10.9 million in 2019. It was also fewer than the number of foreign visitors recorded by Albania, a country with less than 3 million people.

The Ministry of Tourism counted 9.15 million foreign tourist arrivals last year, with about half coming from North America and Europe.

In Case You Missed It: Srinagar’s new wonder: A garden where old cars and junk bloom into beauty

Safety And Access Concerns

The global news agency reported that tourists and industry officials cite several reasons for India's weak foreign tourism numbers. They include scams, safety concerns, difficult transportation, and complicated visa procedures.

Casey Volanth, who first visited India with her mother in 2015, encountered one such problem soon after arriving in New Delhi. The pair entered what they believed was a government tourist agency to book train tickets. Instead, they were asked for identification and money. They soon realised the office was not government-run.

"We figured out pretty quickly it wasn't government-associated," Volanth was quoted as saying. Her mother contacted a friend in the US, who warned them: "You need to get up and leave right now."

They left without losing money and later booked their tickets themselves. Over the following weeks, they visited the Taj Mahal, Rajasthan, Varanasi, and Rishikesh.

Volanth, now 34 and living in Annapolis, Maryland, has since returned to India four more times.

Don't Miss: Sikkim draws most foreign tourists in Northeast, Assam a distant second

Domestic Tourism Surges

India's tourism industry is increasingly focused on domestic travellers.

Domestic trips surged 46% last year to 4.29 billion, almost twice the pre-pandemic peak. Rising incomes, improved infrastructure, and growing interest in religious pilgrimages have helped drive the increase.

The shift has also raised costs for international visitors and encouraged the industry to cater more to Indian travellers.

The weaker rupee has made overseas travel more expensive for Indians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged citizens to spend their travel budgets within the country.

India Trails Smaller Rivals

India's weak foreign tourism numbers are also reflected in its earnings.

NITI Aayog, the government's think tank, said in a June report that India's $35 billion in foreign tourism receipts lagged smaller destinations such as Turkey, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.

That was despite India having what the report described as a wider range of "cultural, natural, and experiential offerings."

Some industry officials say even the 9.15 million figure overstates the number of genuine foreign sightseers because it includes visitors coming for reasons such as medical treatment and family visits.

Ravi Gosain, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, estimates the actual number of foreign leisure tourists at only about 2 million to 3 million, according to the report.