Latest news with #IndiaTourismDataCompendium2024
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
IATO urges govt to set up ₹1,000 cr board to boost foreign tourist inflow
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking an immediate budgetary allocation of ₹1,000 crore under the Incredible India campaign, as well as the formation of an India Tourism Board under the PM's leadership to increase foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in the country. This request follows IATO's repeated concerns over India's slow recovery in FTA numbers compared to 2019 levels. As the apex body for inbound tour operators, IATO collaborates with the government and other hospitality stakeholders on policy matters related to FTAs. The association said these measures are crucial with the upcoming tourist season just months away and could help boost inbound tourism in the current financial year. According to the India Tourism Data Compendium 2024, 9.52 million FTAs were recorded in 2023 as part of an ongoing recovery. In comparison, 10.93 million FTAs were recorded in 2019, before the pandemic. 'When global trade is facing unprecedented disruptions due to tariff wars and geopolitical shifts, tourism exports remain unaffected by such constraints,' said IATO President Ravi Gosain in a statement. 'Unlike goods, India's tourism export—foreign tourists spending in India—is non-tariff based and brings direct foreign exchange earnings into the country. This makes inbound tourism a stable, sustainable, and immediate contributor to India's current account, foreign exchange reserves, employment generation, and overall trade balance. Yet, regretfully, the country is lagging in efforts to attract foreign tourists.' Gosain added that IATO has already taken steps such as simplifying visa processes, expanding the scope of e-visas, fast-tracking group tourist visas, and proposing visa fee waivers for select countries to enhance FTA numbers. He further emphasized the need to incentivize international airlines and air charters to improve connectivity to key tourism circuits, especially in Tier-II and Tier-III destinations. 'This sector alone has the potential to contribute 1 to 2 per cent to the GDP. Therefore, this engine needs to fire,' he said.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
25-05-2025
- Business Standard
FIR filed after threat to blow up Taj Mahal with RDX; VPN used: Police
After the tourism department received an email threatening to blow up the Taj Mahal with RDX, police have registered an FIR, officials said on Sunday. A thorough search of the 17th-century marble mausoleum was conducted following the email, which was received on Saturday and claimed that RDX and IEDs had been planted inside the Taj Mahal premises, reported PTI. Sayed Arib Ahmad, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Taj security, confirmed the receipt of the threat mail. 'A search operation was carried out on the premises of the Taj Mahal without disturbing the tourists. An FIR has been registered in this regard at the local cybercrime police station. Similar threat mails were received in Kerala. We are contacting Kerala Police on this matter. Initial probe suggests that the email was sent using a virtual private network (VPN). We are tracing its origin,' Ahmad said. According to the India Tourism Data Compendium 2024, the Taj Mahal was the most visited monument in 2023–24, attracting 61 lakh domestic and 6.8 lakh foreign tourists. While footfall rose by 31.27 per cent, revenue increased by only 1.48 per cent. The highest revenue earners among major monuments in 2023–24, as per Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) data, were the Taj Mahal (₹98.55 crore), Qutub Minar (₹23.80 crore), Red Fort (₹18.09 crore), Agra Fort (₹15.27 crore), and Konark Sun Temple (₹12.66 crore). Notably, the Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
22-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
India's heritage site footfall up 19% since 2019, ticket revenue down 2.83%
India's centrally protected ticketed monuments experienced an over 19 per cent surge in footfall in 2023-24 compared to the pre-pandemic levels but this did not translate into higher revenue from ticket sales, which dropped by 2.83 per cent, official data shows. An analysis of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) data, presented in the Rajya Sabha, covering 143 monuments shows a complex recovery picture for these key heritage sites, contextualised by broader national trends reported in the Ministry of Tourism's 'India Tourism Data Compendium 2024'. The total footfall across these listed monuments increased by 19.35 per cent from approximately 4.60 crore in 2019-20 to 5.49 crore in 2023-24, the data showed. However, despite the surge in the number of visitors, the combined revenue from ticket sales at these monuments saw a decline of 2.83 per cent during the five-year period, dropping from Rs 312.54 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 303.70 crore in 2023-24. This suggests a shift in the visitor composition at these sites. A direct comparison of visitor data for centrally protected ticketed monuments between 2019-20 and 2023-24 reveals divergent trends. While domestic tourist visits surged by 21.75 per cent, from 4.36 crore in 2019-20 to 5.31 crore in 2023-24, foreign tourist visits decreased by 16.03 per cent, from 27.56 lakh in 2019-20 to 23.15 lakh in 2023-24, according to the data. The increase in the domestic visitor segment, coupled with a decline in the number of higher-paying foreign visitors compared to the pre-pandemic levels, appears to be the primary factor behind the stagnant overall monument revenue despite higher total footfall. This trend mirrors the national picture, where Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India in 2023 (95.2 lakh) recovered to only about 87 per cent of the 2019 levels. The resulting lower average revenue per visitor at the monuments, likely stemming from this altered visitor mix and the ASI's differential pricing structure, aligns with the broader national context where Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism overall stood at USD 28.08 billion in 2023, lower than the 2019 peak of USD 30.72 billion. The broader tourism sector remains a significant economic contributor nationally, with its total (direct + indirect) share estimated to be 5 per cent of the GDP and supporting 7.62 crore jobs in 2022-23, according to the Tourism Satellite Account data. Performance varied dramatically across individual monuments. While sites like Rajarani Temple (301 per cent), Ashokan Rock Edict (251 per cent) and Konark Sun Temple (53.5 per cent) saw massive revenue growth (2023-24 vs 2019-20), others like Tirumalai Nayak's Palace (98.2 per cent), Moovarkoil (90.1 per cent) and Agra Fort (47.2 per cent) saw sharp declines. These stark differences likely stem from various site-specific factors which could range from restoration activities impacting access, changes in regional tourism promotion and infrastructure, or shifts in popular visitor circuits. Specific reasons for each monument's performance are not detailed in the analysed data. The performance of iconic monuments underscores the trend. The Taj Mahal saw the footfall jump by 31.27 per cent but the revenue rose only 1.48 per cent. Qutub Minar's footfall surged by 45.1 per cent and revenue by 18 per cent. Conversely, Humayun's Tomb saw footfall increased by 16.6 per cent while revenue dropped by 29.8 per cent. According to the 'India Tourism Data Compendium 2024', the Taj Mahal was the most popular among visitors in 2023-24 with 61 lakh domestic and 6.8 lakh foreign tourists. Konark Sun Temple (32 lakh) and Qutub Minar (31.2 lakh) were the next most popular among domestic tourists. For foreign visitors, it was Qutub Minar (2.2 lakh) and Agra Fort (2.18 lakh). Visitor numbers, however, did not directly correlate with revenue generation. The highest revenue earners among these monuments in 2023-24 were Taj Mahal (Rs 98.55 crore), Qutub Minar (Rs 23.80 crore), Red Fort (Rs 18.09 crore), Agra Fort (Rs 15.27 crore) and Konark Sun Temple (Rs 12.66 crore), according to ASI data. The data specific to India's protected monuments paints a picture of resilient visitor appeal, particularly drawing huge numbers of domestic travellers post-pandemic. However, the financial recovery at these sites, measured by ticket revenue, still lags behind pre-pandemic benchmarks, reflecting the significant impact of the reduced number of foreign visitors compared to 2019 and the overall altered tourism landscape.
Hindustan Times
22-04-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
19% rise in footfall at Indian heritage sites from 2019 to 2024, ticket revenue drops by 2.83%: Data
New Delhi, India's centrally protected ticketed monuments experienced an over 19 per cent surge in footfall in 2023-24 compared to the pre-pandemic levels but this did not translate into higher revenue from ticket sales, which dropped by 2.83 per cent, official data shows. An analysis of the Archaeological Survey of India data, presented in the Rajya Sabha, covering 143 monuments shows a complex recovery picture for these key heritage sites, contextualised by broader national trends reported in the Ministry of Tourism's 'India Tourism Data Compendium 2024'. The total footfall across these listed monuments increased by 19.35 per cent from approximately 4.60 crore in 2019-20 to 5.49 crore in 2023-24, the data showed. However, despite the surge in the number of visitors, the combined revenue from ticket sales at these monuments saw a decline of 2.83 per cent during the five-year period, dropping from ₹312.54 crore in 2019-20 to ₹303.70 crore in 2023-24. This suggests a shift in the visitor composition at these sites. A direct comparison of visitor data for centrally protected ticketed monuments between 2019-20 and 2023-24 reveals divergent trends. While domestic tourist visits surged by 21.75 per cent, from 4.36 crore in 2019-20 to 5.31 crore in 2023-24, foreign tourist visits decreased by 16.03 per cent, from 27.56 lakh in 2019-20 to 23.15 lakh in 2023-24, according to the data. The increase in the domestic visitor segment, coupled with a decline in the number of higher-paying foreign visitors compared to the pre-pandemic levels, appears to be the primary factor behind the stagnant overall monument revenue despite higher total footfall. This trend mirrors the national picture, where Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India in 2023 recovered to only about 87 per cent of the 2019 levels. The resulting lower average revenue per visitor at the monuments, likely stemming from this altered visitor mix and the ASI's differential pricing structure, aligns with the broader national context where Foreign Exchange Earnings from tourism overall stood at USD 28.08 billion in 2023, lower than the 2019 peak of USD 30.72 billion. The broader tourism sector remains a significant economic contributor nationally, with its total share estimated to be 5 per cent of the GDP and supporting 7.62 crore jobs in 2022-23, according to the Tourism Satellite Account data. Performance varied dramatically across individual monuments. While sites like Rajarani Temple , Ashokan Rock Edict and Konark Sun Temple saw massive revenue growth , others like Tirumalai Nayak's Palace , Moovarkoil and Agra Fort saw sharp declines. These stark differences likely stem from various site-specific factors which could range from restoration activities impacting access, changes in regional tourism promotion and infrastructure, or shifts in popular visitor circuits. Specific reasons for each monument's performance are not detailed in the analysed data. The performance of iconic monuments underscores the trend. The Taj Mahal saw the footfall jump by 31.27 per cent but the revenue rose only 1.48 per cent. Qutub Minar's footfall surged by 45.1 per cent and revenue by 18 per cent. Conversely, Humayun's Tomb saw footfall increased by 16.6 per cent while revenue dropped by 29.8 per cent. According to the 'India Tourism Data Compendium 2024', the Taj Mahal was the most popular among visitors in 2023-24 with 61 lakh domestic and 6.8 lakh foreign tourists. Konark Sun Temple and Qutub Minar were the next most popular among domestic tourists. For foreign visitors, it was Qutub Minar and Agra Fort . Visitor numbers, however, did not directly correlate with revenue generation. The highest revenue earners among these monuments in 2023-24 were Taj Mahal , Qutub Minar , Red Fort , Agra Fort and Konark Sun Temple , according to ASI data. The data specific to India's protected monuments paints a picture of resilient visitor appeal, particularly drawing huge numbers of domestic travellers post-pandemic. However, the financial recovery at these sites, measured by ticket revenue, still lags behind pre-pandemic benchmarks, reflecting the significant impact of the reduced number of foreign visitors compared to 2019 and the overall altered tourism landscape. PRN
