New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) India recorded nearly 300 crore domestic trips over the past year which highlights the growing strength of the country’s tourism sector and its ability to withstand global uncertainties, according to Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Shekhawat said domestic travel in India has witnessed exponential growth, with the figure covering all kinds of trips, including leisure, social visits, weddings, medical travel, and other purposes, at recently organised NDTV Ignite Summit.

“The number of people travelling domestically in India… it can be leisure, social, wedding or medical travel. If a person goes out, stays in a hotel and returns, it counts as a trip. The number of such trips is 300 crore,” the minister said.

He further clarified that the figure does not include travel related to the recent Kumbh gathering, which drew an estimated 66 crore visits.

Highlighting the importance of the domestic market, the minister said India’s tourism industry remains relatively insulated from geopolitical tensions and global disruptions because of its large domestic travel base.

Referring to conflicts in West Asia and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, he said such developments can have an impact on the global economy and tourism sector.

However, India’s strong domestic tourism demand provides a significant cushion against such external shocks, according to him.

“India is one of those fortunate countries whose domestic travel and tourism have such great power that it will not have any major impact on our industry,” the minister stated.

In addition, the minister argued that the strength of a tourism market should not be judged solely by arrival numbers.

Comparing India with destinations such as Thailand and Dubai, he said international visitors to India tend to stay much longer.

According to Shekhawat, foreign tourists visiting India stay for an average of at least 10 days, generating substantial economic activity despite lower visitor numbers compared to some competing destinations.

“The average stay is a minimum of 10 days. Around 2 crore foreign tourists come to India, but they stay for 10 days, creating nearly 20 crore tourist nights,” he said.

Meanwhile, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) member Sajeev Sanyal said that the past 12 years under the PM Modi government have brought India’s civilisational legacy to the forefront and reshaped the way Indians view their history.

Indians earlier tended to view history largely through the lens of conquests and invasions, often overlooking the country’s own achievements and contributions, Sanyal said.

According to him, there is now a growing recognition of India’s legacy as a nation of explorers, adventurers and innovators, a shift he credited to PM Modi.

–IANS

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