US, UK, and Bangladesh lead foreign tourist arrivals in India over past five years
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The United States, Bangladesh, and the United Kingdom have emerged as the leading source markets for foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India over the past five years, according to government data shared in Parliament.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, revealed that the top five countries contributing to FTAs during this period were the US, Bangladesh, the UK, Australia, and Canada.
They were followed by Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Germany, France, and Singapore.
India recorded 99.52 lakh FTAs in 2024, continuing a steady recovery in international tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic, the data showed.
The year-wise figures for FTAs stood at 27.45 lakh in 2020, 15.27 lakh in 2021, 64.37 lakh in 2022, 95.21 lakh in 2023, and 99.52 lakh in 2024.
In terms of International Tourist Arrivals (ITAs), which include both FTAs and arrivals of non-resident nationals, the numbers were higher: 63.37 lakh in 2020, 70.10 lakh in 2021, 143.30 lakh in 2022, 188.99 lakh in 2023, and 205.69 lakh in 2024.
The data also highlighted shifting trends in source markets. Bangladesh led FTAs in 2020 and 2023, while the US topped the list in 2021, 2022, and 2024. The UK, Australia, and Canada consistently remained within the top five.
Shekhawat’s response came in reply to questions on the performance of India’s tourism sector post-pandemic and whether international arrivals had surpassed pre-COVID levels.