Gujarat among top three states attracting foreign tourist visits in 2023

Delhi: Gujarat has become one of the top three Indian states in attracting foreign tourists. According to the Ministry of Tourism, Gujarat’s foreign tourist visits (FTVs) increased from 11,319 in 2021 to 1,777,215 in 2022 and reached 2,806,871 in 2023. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Minister of Tourism shared information on FTVs across India in a written response to the Rajya Sabha on 22nd July.

Compared to other major states, Gujarat’s 2023 FTV figures are among the highest. Maharashtra led with 3,387,739 FTVs, followed by Rajasthan with 1,699,869. Gujarat ranks third, indicating successful tourism strategies and growing international interest.

The increase in Gujarat’s foreign tourist arrivals aligns with the broader national trend of tourism recovery post-pandemic. Domestic tourism in Gujarat has returned to pre-pandemic levels, with foreign arrivals expected to follow by 2024.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the foreign tourist visits in Gujarat and other states for the past three years:

Foreign Tourist Visits (FTVs) from 2021 to 2023

 

State/UT	2021	2022	2023 (P)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands	1,687	4,461	9,025
Andhra Pradesh	27,551	165,845	60,426
Arunachal Pradesh	182	1,055	4,496
Assam	536	9,001	23,818
Bihar	1,046	86,829	546,576
Chandigarh	5,451	28,439	31,498
Chhattisgarh	8	238	953
UT of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu	185	1,791	4,048
Delhi	100,178	815,713	1,828,116
Goa	22,128	174,799	452,692
Gujarat	11,319	1,777,215	2,806,871
Haryana	4,578	2,439	1,346
Himachal Pradesh	4,932	29,333	62,806
Jammu & Kashmir	1,650	19,985	55,337
Jharkhand	1,637	192,319	189,261
Karnataka	72,487	128,520	409,333
Kerala	60,487	345,549	649,057
Lakshadweep	4	125	755
Ladakh	1,054	21,259	40,970
Madhya Pradesh	41,601	204,454	182,685
Maharashtra	185,643	1,511,623	3,387,739
Manipur	648	3,908	3,668
Meghalaya	411	7,774	19,973
Mizoram	234	2,611	3,754
Nagaland	325	2,923	4,725
Odisha	2,269	22,121	45,173
Puducherry	321	862	31,214
Punjab	308,135	329,458	741,734
Rajasthan	34,806	396,684	1,699,869
Sikkim	11,508	68,645	93,908
Tamil Nadu	57,622	407,126	1,174,899
Telangana	5,917	68,401	160,912
Tripura	5	8,493	66,708
Uttar Pradesh	44,737	648,986	1,601,503
Uttarakhand	8,532	61,561	143,027
West Bengal	34,828	1,037,017	2,706,942

Moreover, the Gujarat government has engaged in the Swadesh Darshan Scheme to enhance tourism infrastructure. Notable projects include:

Heritage Circuit (2016-17): Development in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Porbandar, Bardoli, and Dandi with Rs. 58.42 crore sanctioned, Rs. 56.21 crore released, and Rs. 55.67 crore utilized. Additionally, a second Heritage Circuit focused on Vadnagar and Modhera had Rs. 91.12 crore sanctioned, Rs. 87.25 crore released, and Rs. 85.63 crore utilized.

Buddhist Circuit (2017-18): Development across Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bharuch, Kutch, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, and Mehsana with Rs. 26.68 crore sanctioned, Rs. 22.28 crore released, and Rs. 19.96 crore utilized.

Moreover, the Ministry has updated its Swadesh Darshan scheme to Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) to create sustainable and responsible tourism destinations with a focus on both tourists and destinations. The destinations from Gujarat under this scheme include Dholavira and Dwarka.

List of Destinations Identified under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0)

S. no.	States/Union Territory	Destinations Selected/Identified
1.	Andhra Pradesh	Gandikota, Arakku-Lambassingi
2.	Arunachal Pradesh	Nacho, Mechuka
3.	Assam	Jorhat, Kokrajhar
4.	Bihar	Gaya, Nalanda
5.	Chhattisgarh	Bilaspur, Jagdalpur
6.	Goa	Porvorim, Colva
7.	Gujarat	Dholavira, Dwarka
8.	Haryana	Panchkula (Morni)
9.	Himachal Pradesh	Pong Dam
10.	Jammu & Kashmir	Basholi
11.	Jharkhand	Chandil
12.	Karnataka	Hampi, Mysuru
13.	Kerala	Kumarakom, Kozhikode (Beypore)
14.	Madhya Pradesh	Gwalior, Chitrakoot
15.	Maharashtra	Sindhudurg, Ajanta-Ellora
16.	Manipur	Moirang (Bishnupur)
17.	Meghalaya	Shillong, Sohra
18.	Mizoram	Aizawl, Champhai
19.	Nagaland	Niuland, Chumukedima
20.	Odisha	Koraput, Debrigarh along with special attraction of ‘khinda village’
21.	Punjab	Amritsar, Kapurthala
22.	Rajasthan	Bundi (Keshoraipatan), Jodhpur
23.	Sikkim	Gangtok, Gyalshing
24.	Tamil Nadu	Mamallapuram, The Nilgiris
25.	Telangana	Bhongir, Ananthagiri
26.	Tripura	Agartala, Unakoti
27.	Uttar Pradesh	Prayagraj, Naimisharanya
28.	Uttarakhand	Pittoragarh, Champavat
29.	Chandigarh	Chandigarh
30.	Lakshadweep	Lakshadweep
31.	Puducherry	Puducherry, Karaikal
32.	Ladakh	Leh, Kargil
Total		57

DeshGujarat

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