This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: Update on COVID-19 and tourism industry.(July 2021) |
Part of a series on the |
Culture of India |
---|
Tourism in India is 4.6% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Unlike other sectors, tourism is not a priority sector for the Government of India. Forbes magazine ranked India as the 7th most beautiful country in 'The 50 Most Beautiful Countries In The World' rankings. [1] The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹13.2 lakh crore (US$170 billion) or 5.8% of India's GDP and supported 32.1 million jobs in 2021. Even though, these numbers were lower than the pre-pandemic figures; the country's economy witnessed a significant growth in 2021 after the massive downturn during 2020. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 7.8% to ₹33.8 lakh crore (US$420 billion) by 2031 (7.2% of GDP). [2] India has established itself as the 5th largest global travel healthcare destination with an estimated market size of around $9 billion in 2019, out of the total global travel healthcare industry of $44.8 billion(2019). [3] [4] In 2014, 184,298 foreign patients travelled to India to seek medical treatment. [5]
According to the Ministry of Tourism, over 6.19 million and 1.52 million foreign tourists arrived in India in 2022 and 2021 respectively compared to 10.93 million in 2019, representing a -44% degrowth. [6] [7] India has bigger domestic tourist population so it's not dependent on foreign tourist much. This makes India the 22nd most visited nation in the world and 8th in Asia and Pacific. [8] Domestic tourist visits to all states and union territories numbered 1,036.35 million in 2012, an increase of 16.5% from 2011. [9] In 2012, National Geographic's Traveller magazine named the state Kerala as one of the "ten paradises of the world" and "50 must see destinations of a lifetime". [10] In 2014, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh were the most popular states for tourists. [11] Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Agra and Jaipur were the five most visited cities of India by foreign tourists during the year 2015. As of 2017, worldwide, Delhi is ranked 28th by the number of foreign tourist arrivals, while Mumbai is ranked 30th, Chennai 43rd, Agra 45th, Jaipur 52nd and Kolkata 90th. [12]
The World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021, which replaced its previous Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, ranks India 54th out of 117 countries overall. [13] The last edition of the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, published in 2019, had ranked India 34th out of 140 countries overall. The report ranked the price competitiveness of India's tourism sector 13th out of 140 countries. It mentioned that India has quite good air transport infrastructure (ranked 33rd), particularly given the country's stage of development, and reasonable ground and port infrastructure (ranked 28th). The country also scored high on natural resources (ranked 14th), and cultural resources and business travel (ranked 8th). [14] The World Tourism Organization reported that India's receipts from tourism during 2012 ranked 16th in the world, and 7th among Asian and Pacific countries. [15]
The Ministry of Tourism designs national policies for the development and promotion of tourism. In the process, the Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector including various central ministries/agencies, state governments, union territories and private sector representatives. Concerted efforts are being made to promote niche tourism products such as rural, cruise, medical and eco-tourism. [16] The Ministry of Tourism maintains the Incredible India campaign focused on promoting tourism in India.
India requires citizens of most countries to hold a valid passport and apply for a travel visa at their local Indian embassy or consulate before their visit. Travellers can apply directly by mail or in person, or through their local travel services company. In 2014, India implemented an online method for citizens of 156 countries to apply for an e-Tourist Visa. [17] [18]
Nationals of Bhutan, Maldives, and Nepal do not require a travel visa to enter India. Citizens of Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, DPR Korea, Jamaica, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nepal, South Africa and Uruguay are not required to pay a fee when obtaining an Indian visa. [19] [20]
During the pandemic year 2020, India had access to just 23 countries for travel, whereas now the Indian passport holders can travel visa-free to 60 countries. [21]
A Protected Area Permit (PAP) is required to enter the states of Nagaland and Sikkim and some parts of the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. A Restricted Area Permit (RAP) is required to enter the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Sikkim. Special permits are needed to visit the Lakshadweep islands. [22]
As a measure to boost tourism, [23] the Indian Government implemented a new visa policy in November 2014, allowing tourists and business visitors to obtain a "visa on arrival" at 28 international airports, by acquiring an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) online before arrival, without having to visit an Indian consulate or visa centre. [24] In April 2015, the "visa on arrival" scheme was renamed "e-Tourist Visa" (or "e-TV") to avoid confusion. [25]
The e-Tourist Visa facility requires a tourist to apply online on a secure Government of India website, at least four to thirty days before the date of travel. If approved, the visitor must print and carry the approved visa with their travel documents. The visa allows holders of an ETA to enter and stay anywhere in India for a period of ninety days except for citizens of US, UK, Japan and Canada. Citizens of these countries can stay for up to 180 days at a time. [26] an ETA can be obtained twice in a single calendar year. [17]
India first introduced its "visa on arrival" facility on 27 November 2014, to citizens of the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu and Vietnam. [17] On 30 July 2015, the facility was extended to China, Macau and Hong Kong. [27] On 15 August 2015, the facility was further extended to citizens of Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Belgium, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, East Timor, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, Malaysia, Mongolia, Monaco, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Turks and Caicos Islands, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela. [28] The facility should eventually be expanded to about 180 countries.
As a result of the new visa policy, 56,477 tourists arrived on an e-Tourist Visa during October 2015, compared with 2,705 tourist arrivals during October 2014 (just before the facility was introduced), representing a 1987.9% increase. During the period from January to October 2015, a total of 258,182 tourists arrived on an e-Tourist Visa, a 1073.8% increase on the 21,995 tourist arrivals during the same period in 2014 (before the e-Tourist Visa was available). [29]
During 2021, the number of Domestic Tourist Visits to the States/UTs was 67,76,32,981(677 million approx.) as compared to 61,02,16,157(610 million approx.) in 2020 registering a growth of 11.05%. [30]
|
|
Rank | Country | Number | Share in % |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Bangladesh | 2,577,727 | 23.58 |
2 | European Union | 2,430,002 | 21.12 |
3 | United States | 1,512,032 | 13.83 |
4 | United Kingdom | 1,000,292 | 9.15 |
5 | Sri Lanka | 380,121 | 3.38 |
6 | Australia | 367,241 | 3.36 |
7 | Canada | 351,859 | 3.22 |
8 | China (mainland) | 339,442 | 3.11 |
9 | Malaysia | 334,579 | 3.06 |
10 | Germany | 264,973 | 2.42 |
11 | Russia | 251,319 | 2.3 |
Total of top 10 | 7,330,325 | 67.06 |
|
|
There are 42 World Heritage Sites in India that are recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as of August 2023. [34] [35]
List of tourism in different states of India
India is a federal republic comprising 28 states and 8 union territories. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions.
A hill station is a town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in colonial Asia, but also in Africa, for towns founded by European colonialists as refuges from the summer heat and, as Dale Kennedy observes about the Indian context, "the hill station (...) was seen as an exclusive British preserve: here it was possible to render the Indian into an outsider". The term is still used in present day, particularly in India, which has the largest number of hill stations, most are situated at an altitude of approximately 1,000 to 2,500 metres.
The administrative divisions of India are subnational administrative units of India; they are composed of a nested hierarchy of administrative divisions.
The constitutional power to create new states and union territories in India is solely reserved with the Parliament of India, which can do so by announcing new states/union territories, separating territory from an existing state or merging two or more states/union territories or parts of them. As of 2024, there are 28 states and eight union territories in India.
Tourism in Pakistan is a growing industry. In 2010, Lonely Planet termed Pakistan "tourism's 'next big thing'". The country is geographically and ethnically diverse, and has a number of historical and cultural heritage sites. Condé Nast Traveller ranked Pakistan The Best Holiday Destination for 2020 and also declared it the third-highest potential adventure destination in the world for 2020. As security in the country improves, tourism increases; in two years, it has increased by more than 300%. The Pakistani government had launched online visa services for 175 countries and 50 countries were offered visa on arrival, making visiting Pakistan easier. The country received an influx of travel vloggers, who promoted the characteristics of the country, such as in the Northern Pakistan, like Hunza and Skardu.
The following outline is provided as an overview of, and topical guide to, India:
Travel Healthcare is a growing sector in India. In 2022, India's travel healthcare sector was estimated to be worth US$9 billion. Approximately 2 million patients visit India each year from 78 countries for medical, wellness and IVF treatments, generating $6 billion for the industry which is expected to reach $13 billion by 2026 backed by the government's Heal in India initiative. According to a report from 2019 by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Ernst & Young, most of the medical patients arrivals in India were from Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa, and SAARC region. India also receives significant number of medical patients from Australia, Canada, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The city of Chennai has come to be known as the healthcare capital of India.
Visa requirements for Canadian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Canada.
Visa requirements for United States citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states that are imposed on citizens of the United States.
Visa requirements for Russian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Russia.
Visa requirements for Indian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of India.
The Senior Women's National Football Championship for Rajmata Jijabai Trophy, also known as Senior Women’s National Football Championship or simply the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy since 2024, is a women's football tournament contested by state associations and government institutions in India. The first edition was held in 1991 and is organized by the All India Football Federation to crown the national women's football champion each year. It is based on a league and knockout format.
Visitors to India must obtain a visa unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries. Nationals of certain countries may obtain a visa on arrival or an e-Visa online, while others must obtain a visa from an Indian diplomatic mission.
This article details the 2015 Santosh Trophy qualifiers.
The Chief Secretary is the top-most executive official and senior-most civil servant of the state government. The Chief Secretary is the ex-officio head of the state Civil Services Board, the State Secretariat, the state cadre Indian Administrative Service and all civil services under the rules of business of the state government. The Chief Secretary acts as the principal advisor to the chief minister on all matters of state administration.
Tourism in India is economically important and ever-growing. The World Travel & Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹14.02 lakh crore (US$180 billion) or 9.6% of the nation's GDP in 2016 and supported 40.343 million jobs, 9.3% of its total employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.8% to ₹28.49 lakh crore (US$360 billion) by 2027.
The 2023 National Games of India, also known as the 37th National Games of India and informally as Goa 2023 are held from 25 October to 9 November 2023 in the state of Goa.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)