Endowed with natural beauty and a great history, tourism is a flourishing industry in Rajasthan. State contributed to over 20% of India’s Foreign Tourist Arrivals (2013-14) and over 36.6 million tourists visited Rajasthan in 2015. Rajasthan also forms part of India’s golden triangle, a tourist circuit which connects the national capital Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.
During the calendar year 2019, the number of tourist visits in Rajasthan was 538.26 lakh with 522.2 lakh domestic tourists and about 06 lakh foreign travellers.
Contribution of Tourism in Rajasthan Economy:
- Tourism accounts for approximately 15 per cent of the Rajasthan’s economy and provides economic benefits like foreign exchange earnings, regional development, infrastructure development and promotion of local handicrafts.
- In Rajasthan, tourism accounts for 2.7% (5.2% after adding indirect effects) in Gross State Domestic Product and 1.9% (7.2% after adding indirect effects) in state employment.
- Tourism has a significant multiplier effect on the state economy. It increases employment opportunities, generating revenue, developing infrastructure, increasing investment opportunities and revival of traditions and heritage conservation and management . It is estimated that every rupee spent by a tourist changes hands 13 times and that every hotel room generates direct employment to three persons and indirect employment to eight persons.
- In Rajasthan, tourism is the third largest employer after agriculture and textiles sector
- Tourism Industry is more gender neutral as compared to other Industries and women account for 65% of the international tourism workforce. For Rajasthan also, tourism sector provides enabling platform for increasing labour force participation rate.
