Foreign tourist arrivals to India 44% lesser than pre-Covid level

The number of foreign tourists arrivals (FTAs) to India which had dropped during Covid pandemic is still over 44 per cent lesser, although Indian national departures (INDs) have picked up to 78 per cent in 2022, compared to pre-pandemic period in 2019.

As per the annual report of the union ministry of tourism (UMT) for 2022, there were 6.19 million foreign tourists arrivals (FTA) to India, and 21.09 million Indian national departures (INDs) during 2022.

As per ‘Indian tourism statistics at a glance’ report-2022 of the union ministry of tourism, during pre-pandemic period in 2019, FTAs to India were 10.93 million, INDs were 26.92 million.

During the pandemic period, FTA had dropped to 2.74 million (74.9 per cent lesser than 2019) in 2020 and 1.52 million (43.5 per cent lesser than 2020) in 2021.

IND had dropped to 7.29 million in 2020, and picked up slightly to 8.55 million in 2021.

Palace popular

For example, at the Mysuru palace alone, the number of domestic tourists which had dropped in the past two financial years due to Covid pandemic, too has almost resumed to normalcy in financial year 2022-23.

But the number of foreigners coming to see it was still over 55 per cent lower in 2022-23 compared to pre-pandemic period in 2019-2020.

As many as 33.92 lakh people, including 23,168 foreigners, visited Mysuru palace in the financial year April 2022-March 2023.

There were 36.28 lakh visitors, including 51,074 foreigners, during the pre-pandemic period in FY 2019-2020.

It had dropped to 7.08 lakh, including 551 foreigners, in FY 2020-2021. It reached 10.26 lakh, including 1,606 foreigners, in FY 2021-22.

When the reasons for this trend was assessed, Karnataka State Covid Technical Advisory Committee head Dr M K Sudarshan felt that foreign tourists are apprehensive to travel to India as they still fear what if a new Variant of Concern (VOC) of Covid like Delta (which caused lot of deaths) emerges.

May pick up soon

But since WHO has declared the end of the pandemic by lifting PHEIC (Public Health Emergency of International Concern) status on May 5, FTA to India may pick up by Dasara, if nothing startling happens regarding Covid, Sudarshan felt.

But generally there has been a decline in FTAs to India over the years since the cost of tourism in India is going higher, according to a noted tourism stakeholder who did not want to be quoted.

More Indians fly out

He said since the cost of tourism abroad has been comparatively lesser compared to India, a lot of Indians too are preferring trips abroad to Sri Lanka, Bangkok, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Dubai and other small countries.

“In order to ensure that India gets more FTAs, there is a need to improve infrastructure, cleanliness, security and other facilities in all tourism destinations in India to make tourists more comfortable,” said Manu Krishna, an NRI businessman in Muscat.

Also, the Muzrai and the tourism departments should host classical dance and music events at lesser known historical temples, like the nine historical temples on the Mysuru Palace premises, to attract more foreign tourists there, felt Mysuru Palace Board deputy director T S Subramanya.

Big potential

M Ravi, vice-president of Karnataka tourism forum, said, “In 2019-20 alone, tourism contributed to 5.19 per cent of GDP (2.61 per cent directly and 2.41 per cent indirectly) and 14.07 per cent of jobs (6.48 per cent directly and 8.39 per cent indirectly). So, we have a lot of potential. We need to conserve our heritage sites and promote tourism to draw more foreign tourists,” he said.