World Tourism Day: India’s Tourism Contributes 5.22% to GDP
India’s tourism sector contributed 5.22% to GDP and supported 8.46 crore jobs in 2023-24, the government said ahead of World Tourism Day 2026, observed on September 27 under the theme ‘Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism’.
Domestic tourist visits reached 428.55 crore in 2025, up sharply from 67.7 crore in 2021, while foreign tourist visits rose to 2.53 crore. Foreign exchange earnings from tourism climbed to Rs 2,76,831 crore in 2025, compared with Rs 63,978 crore in 2021, according to a government factsheet reported by ANI.
The government credited digital tools for much of the growth. India’s e-Visa facility, introduced in 2014 for nationals of 43 countries, now covers 172 countries, with about 95% of applications processed within 72 hours. The revamped Incredible India Digital Platform offers AI-powered personalisation, virtual experiences and integrated bookings.
Initiatives such as the National Digital Tourism Stack, Dekho Apna Desh 2.0, Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and the PRASHAD scheme are aimed at spreading visitors beyond popular destinations. The numbers point to a sector increasingly built on both volume and digital sophistication.
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