The tourism sector contributed 5% to India’s GDP in 2022-23, according to information shared by Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Parliament on Monday.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the minister stated that India received 9.52 million foreign tourists in 2023. Of these, 46.2% visited for leisure, holidays, and recreation, while 26.9% were from the Indian diaspora.
He also highlighted figures from the Tourism Satellite Account:
•Tourism contributed 5.01% to GDP in 2018-19.
•During the pandemic, it dropped to 1.50% in 2020-21 and 1.75% in 2021-22, but rose again to 5% in 2022-23.
The minister mentioned that the government offers e-medical visas and e-medical attendant visas to citizens of 167 countries, making it easier for foreign nationals to visit India for medical treatment.
When asked about studies on how rising airfares affect domestic tourism, the minister clarified that the Tourism Ministry has not conducted such assessments.
