Tourism in India - wikipedia Tourism in India This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 5 April 2018. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New7Wonders of the World, Taj Mahal in Agra is a popular tourist destination Famous Hall of Thousand Pillars at Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai Rani ki vav in Gujarat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Parshvantha temple at Khajuraho, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its sculptural marvels Bactrian camel ride at Nubra Valley in Ladakh Tourism in India is economically important and is growing rapidly. The World Travel & Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹ 15.24 lakh crore ( US $230 billion ) or 9.4 % of the nation 's GDP in 2017 and supported 41.622 million jobs, 8 % of its total employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.9 % to ₹ 32.05 lakh crore ( US $490 billion ) by 2028 ( 9.9 % of GDP ). In October 2015, India 's medical tourism sector was estimated to be worth US $3 billion. It is projected to grow to $7 -- 8 billion by 2020. In 2014, 184,298 foreign patients traveled to India to seek medical treatment. Over 10 million foreign tourists arrived in India in 2017 compared to 8.89 million in 2016, recording a growth of 15.6 %. Domestic tourist visits to all states and Union Territories numbered 1,036.35 million in 2012, an increase of 16.5 % from 2011. In 2014, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh were the most popular states for tourists. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Agra and Jaipur have been the five most visited cities of India by foreign tourists during the year 2015. Worldwide, Delhi is ranked at 28 by the number of foreign tourist arrivals, while Mumbai is ranked at 30, Chennai at 43, Agra at 45, Jaipur at 52 and Kolkata at 90. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report for the year 2017, ranked India 40th out of 136 countries overall. The report ranks the price competitiveness of India 's tourism sector 10th out of 136 countries. It mentions that India has quite good air transport ( ranked 32nd ), particularly given the country 's stage of development, and reasonable ground transport infrastructure ( ranked 29th ). The country also scores high on natural and cultural resources ( ranked 9th ). Some other aspects of its tourism infrastructure remain somewhat underdeveloped however. The nation has very few hotel rooms per capita by international comparison and low ATM penetration. The World Tourism Organization reported that India 's receipts from tourism during 2012 ranked 16th in the world, and 7th among Asian and Pacific countries. The Ministry of Tourism designs national policies for the development and promotion of tourism. In the process, the Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector including various Central Ministries / agencies, state governments, Union Territories and the representatives of the private sector. Concerted efforts are being made to promote new forms of tourism such as rural, cruise, medical and eco-tourism. The Ministry also maintains the Incredible India campaign focused on promoting tourism. Contents 1 Visa policy of India 1.1 e-Tourist Visa 2 Statistics 2.1 Foreign tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings 2.2 Foreign tourist arrivals by source country 2.3 Foreign and domestic tourist visits by State 3 World Heritage Sites 4 Gallery 5 Further reading 6 Outline of Tourism in India 7 References 8 External links Visa policy of India Main article : Visa policy of India Visa policy of India India Freedom of movement Visa - free eVisa Visa on arrival Visa required Government clearance required in advance India requires citizens of most countries to have a valid passport and apply for a visa at their local Indian embassy or consulate, before they travel. They can apply directly by mail or in person, or through their local travel services company. India has recently implemented an online method for citizens of 40 countries to apply and receive an e-Tourist Visa. Nationals of Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal do not require a visa. Citizens of Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, DPR Korea, Jamaica, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nepal, South Africa and Uruguay are not required to pay a fee when obtaining Indian visa. A Protected Area Permit ( PAP ) is required to enter the states of Nagaland and Sikkim and some parts of the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal. A Restricted Area Permit ( RAP ) is required to enter the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Sikkim. Special permits are needed to enter Lakshadweep Islands. E-Tourist visa In order to boost tourism, the Indian Government implemented a new visa policy in November 2014 that allows visitors to obtain a visa on arrival at 16 designated international airports by acquiring an Electronic Travel Authorisation online before arrival without having to visit an Indian consulate or visa centre. As a result, 56,477 tourists arrived on an e-Tourist Visa during the October 2015 compared to 2,705 during October 2014, an increase of 1987.9 %. During January -- October 2015 a total of 2, 58,182 tourists arrived on an e-Tourist Visa as compared with 21,995 during January -- October 2014, an increase of 1073.8 %. On 27 November 2014, India introduced its visa on arrival enabled by ETA facility for tourists and business visitors, to citizens of following countries -- Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu and Vietnam. The facility was extended to China, Macau and Hong Kong on 30 July 2015. The facility was further extended to citizens of Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Belgium, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, East Timor, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, Malaysia, Mongolia, Monaco, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Turks and Caicos Islands, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela on 15 August 2015. The visa on arrival requires a tourist to apply online on a secure Government of India website, at least 4 to 30 days before the date of travel. If approved, the passenger must print and carry the approved visa with the travel documents. The visa allows holders of Electronic Travel Authorisation ( ETA ) to enter and stay anywhere in India for 30 days. The ETA can be obtained twice in a single calendar year. The visa on arrival facility is expected to be expanded to about 180 countries over time. In April 2015 the scheme was renamed to e-Tourist Visa in order to avoid confusion. Statistics Foreign tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings Foreign tourist arrivals in India ( 1997 - 2017 ) Year Number ( millions ) % change 1997 2.37 3.8 1998 2.36 - 0.7 1999 2.48 5.2 2000 2.65 6.7 2001 2.54 - 4.2 2002 2.38 - 6.0 2003 2.73 14.3 3.46 26.8 2005 3.92 13.3 2006 4.45 13.5 2007 5.08 14.3 2008 5.28 4.0 2009 5.17 - 2.2 5.78 11.8 2011 6.31 9.2 2012 6.58 4.3 2013 6.97 5.9 2014 7.68 10.2 2015 8.03 4.5 2016 8.80 9.7 2017 10.18 15.6 Foreign exchange earnings from tourism in India ( 1997 - 2017 ) Year Amount ( US $ million ) % change Amount ( ₹ crores ) % change 1997 2,889 2.0 10,511 4.6 1998 2,948 2.0 12,150 15.6 1999 3,009 2.1 12,951 6.6 2000 3,460 15 15,626 20.7 2001 3,198 - 7.6 15,083 - 3.5 2002 3,103 - 3.0 15,064 - 0.1 2003 4,463 43.8 20,729 37.6 6,170 38.2 27,944 34.8 2005 7,493 21.4 33,123 18.5 2006 8,634 15.2 39,025 17.8 2007 10,729 24.3 44,360 13.7 2008 11,832 10.3 51,294 15.6 2009 11,136 - 5.9 53,700 4.7 14,193 27.5 64,889 20.8 2011 16,564 16.7 77,591 19.6 2012 17,737 7.1 94,487 21.8 2013 18,445 4.0 1, 07,671 14 2014 20,236 9.7 1, 23,320 14.5 2015 21,071 4.1 1, 35,193 8.8 2016 22,923 9.8 1, 54,146 14.0 2017 27,693 20.6 1, 80,379 17.0 Foreign tourist arrivals by source country Source countries for foreign tourist arrivals in India in 2016 Rank Country Number Share in % Bangladesh 1,380,409 15.68 United States 1,296,939 14.73 United Kingdom 941,883 10.7 Canada 317,239 3.6 5 Malaysia 301,961 3.43 6 Sri Lanka 297,418 3.38 7 Australia 293,625 3.33 8 Germany 265,928 3.02 9 China 251,313 2.85 10 France 238,707 2.71 Total of top 10 5,585,422 63.43 Other countries 3,218,989 36.57 Grand total 8,804,411 100 Foreign and domestic tourist visits by State Share of top 10 states / UTs of India in number of foreign tourist visits in 2015 Rank State / Union Territory Number Share in % Tamil Nadu 4,684,707 20.1 Maharashtra 4,408,916 18.9 Uttar Pradesh 3,104,062 13.3 Delhi 2,379,169 10.2 5 Rajasthan 1,489,500 6.4 6 West Bengal 1,475,311 6.3 7 Kerala 977,479 4.2 8 Bihar 923,737 4.0 9 Karnataka 636,502 2.7 10 Goa 541,480 2.3 Total of top 10 states 20,620,863 88.4 Others 2,705,300 11.6 Total 23,326,163 100 Share of top 10 states / UTs of India in number of domestic tourist visits in 2015 Rank State / Union Territory Number Share in % Tamil Nadu 333,459,047 23.3 Uttar Pradesh 204,888,457 14.3 Andhra Pradesh 121,591,054 8.5 Karnataka 119,863,942 8.4 5 Maharashtra 103,403,934 7.2 6 Telangana 94,516,316 6.6 7 Madhya Pradesh 77,975,738 5.4 8 West Bengal 70,193,450 4.9 9 Gujarat 36,288,463 2.5 10 Rajasthan 35,187,573 2.5 Total of top 10 states 1,197,367,974 83.6 Others 234,605,820 16.4 Total 1,431,973,794 100 World Heritage sites Main articles : List of World Heritage Sites in India and Tourism in India by state There are 36 World Heritage Sites in India that are recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) as of August 2017. These are places of importance of cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Hill Forts of Rajasthan Taj Mahal Fatehpur Sikri Agra Fort Kaziranga National Park Manas Wildlife Sanctuary Sanchi Stupa Bhimbetka Rockshelters Khajuraho Bodh Gaya Humayun 's Tomb Qutub Minar Red Fort Champaner - Pavagadh Churches and Convents of Goa Keoladeo National Park Ajanta Caves Ellora Caves Elephanta Caves Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Chola Temples Mahabalipuram Hampi Nilgiri Mountain Railway Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Kalka -- Shimla Railway Great Himalayan National Park Pattadakal Sun Temple, Konârak Jantar Mantar, Jaipur Rani ki vav Historic City of Ahmadabad Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks Sundarbans National Park Western Ghats ( Nilgiri ) Western Ghats ( Kerala ) Western Ghats ( Sahyadri ) Western Ghats ( Karnataka ) The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier Khangchendzonga National Park Nalanda Location of World Heritage Sites within India ( ) Gallery Houseboat in Kerala backwaters Candolim beach in Goa Munshi Ghat in Varanasi Udaipur 's City Palace Palitana Kailasa Temple at Ellora Elephanta Caves Chaturbhuj Temple Jal Mandir at Shikharji Radhanagar Beach Stone chariot in Hampi Gommateshwara Bengal tiger in Sundarbans Sanchi Stupa Chaturmukha Jain Temple Dilwara Temples Lotus Temple in Delhi Heritage train in Darjeeling Mysore Palace illuminated at night Tso Moriri in Ladakh Mahabodhi Konark Sun Temple 1000 Pillar Temple Morgan House, Kalimpong. Golden Temple, Amritsar. Further reading Gupta, S.P., and Krishna Lal. 1974. Tourism, museums, and monuments in India. Delhi : Oriental Publishers. Outline of Tourism in India Tourism in India by state List of World Heritage Sites in India List of National Geo - heritage Monuments in India List of national parks of India List of lakes of India List of waterfalls in India List of State Protected Monuments in India List of beaches in India Incredible India List of Geographical Indications in India Medical tourism in India List of botanical gardens in India List of hill stations in India List of gates in India List of zoos in India List of protected areas of India List of aquaria in India List of forts in India List of forests in India Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India Hindu pilgrimage sites in India List of mosques in India List of rock - cut temples in India Wildlife sanctuaries of India List of rivers of India List of mountains in India List of ecoregions in India Coral reefs in India List of stadiums in India See also Economy of India Aviation in India Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tourism in India. Wikivoyage has a travel guide for India. India portal Society portal Culture portal References Jump up ^ `` Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2018 India '' ( PDF ). World Travel and Tourism Council. Retrieved 22 March 2017. Jump up ^ `` Indian medical tourism industry to touch $8 billion by 2020 : Grant Thornton - The Economic Times ''. The Economic Times. Retrieved 16 April 2016. Jump up ^ `` Promotion of Medical Tourism ''. Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 28 April 2016. ^ Jump up to : Sanjay Kumar ( 15 January 2018 ). `` 15.2 % Growth in Foreign Tourist Arrivals in December, 2017 Over December, 2016 ; 48.3 % Growth in Foreign Tourist Arrivals on e-Tourist visa in December, 2017 Over December, 2016 ''. Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism. Retrieved 7 March 2018. Jump up ^ Team, BS Web ( 17 January 2018 ). `` India attracted 10 mn foreign tourists in 2017, sports to bring more ''. Business Standard India. Retrieved 11 February 2018. Jump up ^ `` Performance of Tourism Sector during December, 2016 '' ( PDF ). Ministry of Tourism ( India ). Retrieved 28 February 2017. Jump up ^ `` 13.6 % Growth in Foreign Tourist Arrivals in December 2016 Over the Same Period in 2015 ''. Press Information Bureau. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` India 's Domestic Tourists increase by 16 % crossing 1 Billion Mark ''. IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 21 February 2014. Jump up ^ `` Tamil Nadu, UP pip Goa as tourist havens ''. Jump up ^ Bremner, Caroline. `` Top 100 City Destinations Ranking '' ( PDF ). Euromonitor International. Retrieved 30 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015 - India ''. weforum.org. Retrieved 9 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index ''. World Economic Forum. 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Rank in Tourism '' ( Press release ). Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014. Jump up ^ `` Annual Report 2009 -- 10 '' ( PDF ). Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. 6 April 2010. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2012. ^ Jump up to : Tourist Visa on Arrival Government of India ( 2014 ) Jump up ^ Indian Visa fee schedule for all nationalities Jump up ^ `` Visa Information -- India ''. Timatic. IATA. Retrieved 17 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` India announces new visa rules to boost tourism numbers ''. Yahoo News. 27 November 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` India to extend visa - on - arrival to tourists from 180 countries ''. Zee News. Retrieved 9 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` 1988 % growth registered in tourist visa - on - arrival in October ''. The Times of India. 18 November 2015. Jump up ^ Extension of e-Tourist Visa scheme to China, Hong Kong and Macau from tomorrow Jump up ^ Press Note - Extension of e-Tourist Visa scheme to 36 more countries and 7 more airports from 15 August 2015 Jump up ^ `` Government Changes Name of Visa on Arrival Scheme to E-Tourist Visa ''. NDTV.com. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` India Tourism Statistics at a Glance 2017 '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ ( tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/FTA/FTAs % 20and % 20FEE % 202014 - 16. xlsx `` Foreign Tourist Arrivals ( FTAs ) and Foreign Exchange Earnings ( FEEs ) from Tourism in India during December 2016 and comparative figures of 2015 and 2014 '' ) Check url = value ( help ). tourism.gov.in. Retrieved 21 July 2017. Jump up ^ Sanjay Kumar ( 17 January 2018 ). `` Foreign Exchange Earnings ( in Rupee and US $ Terms ) through Tourism in India in December 2017 ''. Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism. Retrieved 7 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` Properties Inscribed on the World heritage List ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 01. Jump up ^ `` World Heritage Day : Five must - visit sites in India ''. Jump up ^ `` The World Heritage Convention ''. UNESCO. Retrieved September 21, 2010. External links Tourism Help Line Telangana Tourism, Government of India India travel and tourism at Curlie ( based on DMOZ ) Ministry of Tourism, India Visa on Arrival, Government of India Bradnock, Roma ( 2004 ). Footprint India Footprint Travel Guides, Bath, UK. ISBN 1 - 904777 - 00 - 7. DeBruyn, Pippa ; Bain, Keith ; Venkatraman, Niloufer ( 2010 ). Frommer 's India. `` India in One, Two or Three Weeks ''. The New York Times. 23 March 2012. Tourism in India By state Andhra Pradesh Andaman and Nicobar Islands Assam Bihar Patna Delhi Chhattisgarh Goa Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh Haryana Himachal Pradesh Karnataka Bangalore Mysore Kerala Thiruvanathapuram Kochi Thrissur Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Mumbai Marathwada Aurangabad Mizoram North East India Odisha Kosal Puducherry Punjab Rajasthan Jaipur Telangana Hyderabad Tamil Nadu Chennai Coimbatore Uttar Pradesh Allahabad Uttarakhand West Bengal Kolkata Types Beaches Hill stations Islands Lakes Medical tourism Skiing Tourist trains Waterfalls Wildlife National parks Protected areas World Heritage Sites Organisations India TDC Andhra Pradesh TDC Assam TDC Bihar STDC Delhi TTDC Haryana Tourism Corporation J&K TDC Karnataka TDC Kerala TDC Madhya Pradesh TDC Maharashtra TDC Odisha TDC Rajasthan TDC Tamil Nadu TDC Telangana TDC Uttar Pradesh Tourism West Bengal TDCL See also Incredible India NEITM Visa policy of India Category Commons Economy of India Companies BSE SENSEX CNX Nifty Government - owned companies List of companies Governance Ministry of Finance Finance ministers Ministry of Commerce and Industry Commerce ministers Finance Commission Economic Advisory Council Central Statistical Office Securities and Exchange Board of India Enforcement Directorate Foreign trade Foreign direct investment Foreign exchange reserves Remittances Taxation Subsidies Industrial licensing Voluntary guidelines NITI Aayog Make in India Currency Indian rupee History Historical exchange rates Coinage Reserve Bank of India Governors India Government Mint Financial services Banking Banks Insurance Bombay Stock Exchange National Stock Exchange Multi Commodity Exchange Bullion Black money Stock exchanges History Economic development Economic liberalisation Licence Raj Green revolution Government initiatives Numbering system People Billionaires Businesspeople Demography Income Poverty Labour law Pensions EPFO NPS PPF States Andhra Pradesh Assam Bihar Delhi Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Mizoram Odisha Punjab Rajasthan Tamil Nadu Telangana Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh West Bengal Sectors Agriculture Livestock Fishing Automotive Defence Construction Education Energy Nuclear Solar Wind Entertainment Forestry Gambling Healthcare Information technology Media Cinema Television Printing Mining Coal Iron and Steel Pharmaceuticals Pulp and paper Retail Science and technology Biotechnology Telecommunications Textiles Tourism Transport Aviation Civil Ports Rail Utilities Electricity Water Category Commons Wikiquotes Tourism in Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China Cyprus East Timor ( Timor - Leste ) Egypt Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia Artsakh Northern Cyprus Palestine South Ossetia Taiwan Dependencies and other territories British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos ( Keeling ) Islands Hong Kong Macau Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tourism_in_India&oldid=834372456 '' Categories : Tourism in India Tourism in Asia Hidden categories : Pages with URL errors Wikipedia pending changes protected pages EngvarB from September 2013 Use dmy dates from April 2017 Articles with Curlie links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം मराठी ଓଡ଼ିଆ Русский தமிழ் اردو 5 more Edit links This page was last edited on 5 April 2018, at 11 : 24. 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Question: most visited city in india by foreign tourists
Answer: Delhi