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New Delhi: The Taj Mahal in Agra remained the most-visited centrally protected ticketed monument for both domestic and foreign tourists in the financial year 2024-25, according to the India Tourism Data Compendium 2025 released by the Ministry of Tourism Saturday on World Tourism Day. Foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India reached 9.95 million in 2024, a 4.52 per cent increase from 2023. Among ticketed monuments, the Taj Mahal led domestic visitors with 6.26 million and foreign tourists with 0.645 million. Other popular sites for domestic visitors included the Sun Temple, Konark (3.57 million) and Qutub Minar, Delhi (3.20 million). Foreign visitors also favoured Agra Fort and Qutub Minar, each drawing 0.22 million tourists after the Taj Mahal. Built between 1631 and 1648 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the white marble mausoleum is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also Read: Sustainable transformation in tourism the way forward Non-resident Indian arrivals reached 10.62 million in 2024, up 13.22 per cent from 2023 and 52.15 per cent above pre-pandemic levels. The compendium said the growth reflects rising confidence of the Indian diaspora in travelling to India post-pandemic. International tourist arrivals totaled 20.57 million, an 8.89 per cent increase over the previous year. Suman Bery, vice chairperson of NITI Aayog, was the chief guest at the release event in Bhubaneswar, with Union Tourism Minister Suresh Gopi presiding. Bery said tourism is a “powerful instrument for economic transformation, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion” and stressed embedding sustainability at the core of India’s tourism strategy. The report noted a sharp pandemic-driven drop in FTAs to 2.74 million in 2020, followed by a rebound to 6.44 million in 2022 and 9.95 million in 2024. Age-wise data shows the 35–44 and 45–54 segments accounted for the largest shares, while senior travellers (55 and above) showed growing interest in wellness, heritage, and spiritual tourism. The 0–14 age group saw a slight decline but remains significant for family tourism. Gender distribution among foreign visitors was 57.7 per cent male and 42.3 per cent female. Outbound travel from India rose to 30.89 million in 2024, a 10.79 per cent increase from 2023. The UAE was the top destination, followed by Saudi Arabia, the US, Thailand, Singapore, the UK, Qatar, Canada, Kuwait, and Oman. Air travel dominated, with 98 per cent of departures by air. The travel and tourism sector supported around 84.63 million jobs in 2023–24 and contributed 5.22 per cent to India’s GDP, underscoring its economic significance.
