Shillong: Meghalaya ranked second in domestic tourist arrivals among Northeastern states, following Assam, according to Union Minister of State for DoNER, Sukanta Majumdar, in a recent Parliament address.
During the 2024-25 fiscal period, Meghalaya welcomed 1,371,674 domestic tourists. Assam led the region with 7,612,720 domestic visitors. The state also attracted 19,973 foreign tourists, placing it fourth in the Northeast.
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Sikkim recorded the highest number of foreign tourists in the region with 93,908, followed by Tripura (66,708) and Assam (23,818). Manipur saw the lowest tourist figures, with 57,701 domestic and 3,688 foreign visitors, attributed to ongoing strife.
Nationally, India saw 2.12 million tourists from Bangladesh in 2023, the largest source after the United States, representing 22.3% of India’s total foreign tourist arrivals, as per Ministry of Tourism data. The eight Northeastern states collectively received 12,078,776 domestic and 221,050 foreign tourists.
Majumdar emphasized the Ministry of DoNER’s commitment to promoting tourism in the Northeast. He highlighted infrastructure projects sanctioned under schemes like the Northeast Special Infrastructure Development Scheme, the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region, and North Eastern Council initiatives, all aimed at bolstering the region’s tourism sector.
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India’s tourism sector experienced a significant rebound in 2023, with 9.52 million foreign tourist arrivals and 2.51 billion domestic tourist visits.
Foreign tourist arrivals increased by 47.90% compared to 2022, reaching 87.1% of pre-pandemic levels. Domestic tourist arrivals surged by 44.98% to 2,509.63 million, up from 1,731.01 million in the previous year.
Domestic tourist spending reached Rs 14.64 trillion, while foreign exchange earnings amounted to Rs 2,31,927 crore.