Domestic revival

The changing domestic tourist kept Rajasthan’s tourism sector afloat during the pandemic recovery period

- SONI MISHRA

RAJASTHAN HAS OVER the years been marketed to tourists as the most vibrant part of India that gives them a truly royal experience. The aggressive marketing had its impact; the number of tourists grew steadily year on year, till the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

In March 2020, 43.27 lakh domestic tourists and 86,573 foreigners had come. However, in April, the number of travellers from within the country dropped to zero, while only 86 in-bound tourists visited the state.

The numbers for 2020, compared with 2019, showed a drop of more than 71 per cent. If 5.22 crore domestic tourists and 16 lakh foreigners had come to the state in 2019, their footfall in 2020 plummeted to 1.51 crore and 4.46 lakh, respectively.

As Rajasthan now comes out of the pandemic’s shadow and prepares for the upcoming tourist season, there is a re-orientation of focus and change in strategy. As recovery from the pandemic began in 2021, it was the domestic tourist who helped the tourism sector stay afloat. In 2021, 2.19 crore domestic tourists came to Rajasthan, compared to 35,000 foreigners. Compared with 2020, there was a 44.45 per cent increase in the number of domestic tourists in 2021, while the number of foreign visitors fell by more than 92 per cent.