Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India: Trends, Growth, and Key Insights 2025
Last Updated on 08 August, 2025.
India welcomed 9.95 million foreign tourists in 2024, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Tourism. This marks an annual growth of 4.51% compared to 2023. The United States remained the top source country, contributing 1.8 million tourists, followed closely by Bangladesh with 1.7 million and the United Kingdom with 1 million visitors.
India recorded 9.52 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2023, marking an impressive 47.8% growth compared to 6.44 million arrivals in 2022. The momentum continues in 2024, with 4.77 million foreign tourists visiting India in the first half (January–June) alone.
This growth highlights India’s strong rebound in tourism, especially when considering the significant jump from just 1.52 million foreign arrivals in 2021 to 6.44 million in 2022. As one of the top travel destinations globally, India continues to attract millions of international tourists with its rich culture, heritage, and diverse experiences.
Top source countries for foreign tourists in India.
Bangladesh is the top Source for tourist arrivals in India followed by United states of America and UK.
Foreign tourist arrival in April-2025
| Rank | Country | % share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | 16.3% |
| 2 | UK | 13.5% |
| 3 | Australia | 6.1% |
| 4 | Canada | 4.8% |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 4.6% |
Other countries include Germany, Canada, Nepal, Singapore.
Foreign tourist arrival in January to March- 2025
| Rank | Country | % share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | 20.77% |
| 2 | UK | 17.41% |
| 3 | Canada | 10.08% |
| 4 | Australia | 4.33% |
| 5 | Malaysia | 4.14% |
Other countries include Germany, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Singapore
Purpose of tourist arrival in 2025
44.77 % of tourist arrived in India in first quarter of 2025 for Leisure Holiday and Recreation activities.
- Leisure Holiday and Recreation(39.3%)
- Indian Diaspora(36.1%)
- Business and Professional(16%)
- Other(4.5%)
- Pilgrimage(4.1%)
Gender wise distribution of Foreign tourist arrival in India (2025)
More male tourist prefer to visit India in comparison of Female tourist.
April 2024
- Male- 56.31%
- Female- 43.69%
January to March (2025)
- Male- 54.2%
- Female- 45.8%
Most Populated countries in the World: Full list
Top cities for foreign tourist arrival in India
Delhi is the most visited city in 2025 by foreign tourist. followed by Mumbai and Chennai.
| Rank | City(entry point) | % share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delhi | 37.7% |
| 2 | Mumbai | 17.3% |
| 3 | Chennai | 8.4% |
| 4 | Bengaluru | 7.8% |
| 5 | Cochin | 3.7% |
Tourism In India has grown significantly but still lagging behind the pre Pandemic level in 2019.
Read also: List of Airport With Digiyatra Facility
Source: Ministry of Tourism