Sri Lanka, along with the United States, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, has been among the top 10 source countries for foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India over the past five years, according to data released by the Indian government.
Indian Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared the figures in a written response to queries in the Lok Sabha, as reported by PTI.
Government data shows that FTAs to India reached 9.95 million in 2024. The minister provided details about international tourist arrivals over the last five years and whether India’s tourism sector had recovered significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
According to the UN World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals (ITAs) consist of two components: Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) and arrivals of Non-Resident Nationals.
In response to questions about the top source markets for FTAs in India, Shekhawat shared a table of the top 10 countries from 2020 to 2024. These countries are the United States, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Germany, France, and Singapore.
Bangladesh was the leading source market in 2020 and 2023, while the United States held the top position in 2021, 2022, and 2024. The United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada consistently appeared among the top five source countries for FTAs to India.
