Major events and initiatives that shaped India’s tourism sector in 2024

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India has been establishing a strong foothold in global tourism, attracting travellers from around the world to witness the natural and cultural beauty that the country has to offer. 2024 was no different with new inaugurations, global campaigns and fairs, accelerating the growth of tourism in the country.

Inauguration of the country's first sunken museum at the Humayun's Tomb complex in Delhi, launch of a global campaign that seeks to make diaspora members ambassadors of Incredible India and an international mart at Assam's Kaziranga were some of the highlights of the Indian tourism sector in 2024.

With the upcoming Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj next year and a large number of pilgrims and tourists expected to gather in the holy city for the religious congregation, the tourism ministry is also eyeing to showcase and celebrate the cultural diversity of the country, aiming to draw both domestic and international tourists. Various cultural programmes and exhibitions are being organised to accomplish this purpose. Held every 12 years, the Mahakumbh 2025 will be from January 13 to February 26.

Also Read: From travel to health, know all about the special provisions at Mahakumbh 2025

Government initiatives to boost tourism in 2024

Senior BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat took charge as the Union tourism minister after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, succeeding G Kishan Reddy who was allotted the portfolio of coal.

The year 2024 also saw the launch of 'Chalo India', a global campaign that seeks to make Indian diaspora members ambassadors of Incredible India. The campaign has been implemented in the spirit of 'jan bhagidari' to encourage Indian diaspora members to invite their five "non-Indian friends to travel to India every year".

In his address at an event hosted on World Tourism Day in New Delhi on September 27, Shekhawat had said that under this campaign, one lakh foreign tourists would be exempted from paying visa fee in the coming times.

At the same event, he also announced that the government would soon release a "dedicated master list" of tourist sites for their holistic development, and asserted that this would be a new effort to bring unbelievable sites of 'Incredible India' on a global platform.

Shekhawat had also announced the launch of the initiative 'Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi' which aims to elevate the overall experience for tourists, by having them meet 'tourist-friendly' people who are "proud ambassadors and storytellers for their destination". This initiatives spans 50 tourism destinations across the country including Sri Vijaya Puram (earlier Port Blair) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bodh Gaya in Bihar, Ahmedabad and Kevadia in Gujarat, Srinagar, Ranchi and Delhi.

The 2024 Union Budget gave a major push to spiritual tourism, with funds allocated for the development of several temples and temple corridors. This year saw spiritual destinations like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Amarnath, etc., welcome large numbers of tourists.

Also Read: Ayodhya, Varanasi, Amarnath Yatra: What's fuelling the rise of spiritual tourism in India?

Tourism mart in Kaziranga

Another key highlight was the 12th edition of the International Tourism Mart (ITM) held in Kaziranga from November 26 to November 29.

The Kaziranga National Park (KNP), home to the world's largest one-horned rhinoceros population, was the showpiece of the latest edition of the ITM. Located in Golaghat, Nagaon and Sonitpur districts of Assam, the KNP was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

This year is a "golden period" for the sector one can say, as the ITM happened months after Moidams -- the mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam -- in Charaideo district was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and then KNP completed 50 years as a national park, Mugdha Sinha, Director General, Tourism, in the ministry had said.

Also Read: As 'Moidans' from Assam enters UNESCO World Heritage List, here's a look at all heritage sites in India

India's first sunken museum

In July, the country's first sunken museum at the site of Humayun's Tomb complex -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- where the story of the Mughal emperor and lesser-known facets of his life comes alive, was inaugurated, magnifying the architectural and heritage allure of the 16th century mausoleum. Shekhawat had inaugurated the new museum in the presence of Prince Rahim Aga Khan.

"Our cultural heritage is one of our greatest assets," Shekhawat had said in his address at the inauguration ceremony.

Foreign tourist arrivals in India

The ministry in December shared some data on foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) and foreign exchange earnings from tourism in 2023. The number of FTAs in India during 2023 rose to 95 lakh from 77 lakh in 2014, registering a growth of 23.96 per cent, it said.

FTAs in India during January-June period in 2024 stood at nearly 4.78 million, with Bangladesh and the US being the top two source countries, according to official data issued by the Tourism Ministry.

(With inputs from PTI)