Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a significant decline in foreign tourist visits (FTVs) receiving only 62,806 out of the 1,92,45,817 visitors to India in 2023, representing a mere 0.33% of the total FTVs. In 2022, Himachal recorded 29,333 FTVs out of India’s 85,87,562. Even smaller states like Tripura, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Goa have witnessed higher FTVs than Himachal. Many states and UTs have regained pre-Covid FTV numbers, but Himachal has only revived about 20% of its pre-Covid FTVs.
Goa witnessed 4,52,692 FTVs in 2023 and 1,74,799 in 2022. Uttarakhand registered 1,43,027 and 61,561 FTVs in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Maharashtra saw the highest with 33,87,739 FTVs in 2023, while Gujarat recorded 17,77,215 million in 2022.
Previously, 4,70,992 foreign tourists arrived in Himachal in 2017, 3,56,568 foreign tourists were witnessed in 2018 and the number of FTVs was 3,82,876 in 2019. Last year, 82,765 tourists visited the state.
In 2013, Himachal Pradesh was in the 11th position in terms of FTVs in the country while it has slid down to the 19th position in 2023, according to the data on foreign tourist visits by the Market Research Division of Union Ministry of Tourism.
The sharp decline in the foreign tourists in the state is a matter of concern because tourism is the backbone of the economy of the region.
The beneficiaries of the tourism industry rued that Himachal has not got adequate share in various tourism promotion schemes like ‘Swadesh Darshan’, Eco-Tourism and ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)’. A tourism businessman Rishi said that Himachal is largely excluded from various campaigns and events in the initiatives like Dekho Apna Desh campaign, Chalo India campaign, International Tourism Mart, Bharat Parv, etc. aimed to promote various tourism destinations.
A tourism beneficiary Atul said that even under the Swadesh Darshan scheme, the state had only got Rs 64.54 crore while many states had got funds to a tune of about Rs 2,000 crore. He added that out of the sanctioned 76 projects in the country under Swadesh Darshan scheme 2014-15 and under identified thematic circuits for Rs 5287.90 crore and the revamped Swadesh Darshan 2.0 having sanctioned 34 projects for Rs 791.25 crore, Himachal has got only one project of Rs 64.54 crore.
Another expert Anil said, “Himachal Pradesh did not get even one ecotourism project among the recently approved 40 projects worth Rs 3,295.76 crore for the development of lesser-known tourism sites in 23 states, across the country, by the Union Ministry of Tourism.”
Tourism industry stakeholders emphasised that with almost no rail connectivity and limited, unaffordable air connectivity, tourist numbers might decline further if the government does not take timely steps. They demanded that the Central government should provide adequate aid and representation for the state in various tourism development schemes.
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