Ahmedabad, recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage City, has witnessed a surge in tourism in 2023. In just eight months, the city welcomed 3,63,000 tourists. Notably, over 1,00,000 visitors explored the Sabarmati Riverfront in the city, while pilgrim sites such as Somnath, Ambaji, and Dwarka have attracted a significant number of foreign tourists.
The Gujarat government has highlighted the remarkable recovery of the tourism industry, which had been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2021, only 11,319 tourists visited Gujarat, but this number soared to 17.77 lakh in 2022. By August 2023, the state had already welcomed 15.4 lakh foreign tourists, with projections indicating that this figure could reach 20 lakh by December 2023.
According to Sivakumar Periyasamy, the Chief Conservator of Forests in Assam was the Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, “We tried to increase the revenue in Kaziranga National Park. During 2019-2022, the revenue from tourists saw a significant jump in the park. It touched INR 6 crore mark.”
In 2022, India received over 85.9 lakh foreign tourists, with Gujarat accounting for about 20.17% of the total. This resurgence in Gujarat’s tourism industry is attributed to its diverse offerings, including mythological, historical, heritage, religious, environmental, and adventure destinations.To track tourist numbers, the Gujarat Tourism Corporation Limited (TCGL) launched the AATITHYAM portal, making Gujarat the first state in India to implement such a system.
Ahmedabad, as a UNESCO World Heritage City, has been a top choice for foreign tourists, with 1.54 million visitors in 2023 (up to August). Other attractions such as the Ambaji Temple, Somnath Temple, and Dwarka Temple have also garnered substantial interest among travelers.
Ahmedabad, in particular, is expected to continue attracting foreign tourists, with projections exceeding the 2022 figure of 363,000 visitors. Additionally, the Sabarmati Riverfront has witnessed increased foreign tourist visits, growing from 67,000 in 2022 to 107,969 by August 2023.
Various key tourist destinations in Gujarat, including Ambaji, Dwarka, Somnath, and the Statue of Unity, are increasingly becoming preferred choices for foreign tourists.
