Early monsoon boosts tourism prospects in Rajasthan: Trade experts

The early arrival of the monsoon has given a push to the tourism sector in Rajasthan.

 

According to trade experts, hotels across the state are busy and preparing for the main tourist season, from October to March, as they expect a big rush during this monsoon season.

 

President of Hotel Federation of Rajasthan, Hussain Khan, said that monsoon usually arrives in the state by the second or third week of July, but this year, due to the onset of rains in the last week of June, the entire state is attracting tourists early.

 

“During summer, the occupancy of hotels in the state was down sharply to around 40 per cent, which has increased to over 50 per cent after the rains. It is expected to further increase to over 70 per cent by the end of this month, especially on weekends,” said Khan.

 

Industry expert and inbound travel agent Sanjay Kaushik said they expect a jump in tourist arrivals by the end of this month due to good weather.  

 

“Cities like Mount Abu, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bundi, Ajmer, Jaipur, and Alwar, situated in the Aravali mountain ranges, are seeing a jump in tourist arrivals, mainly domestic. Tourists are also reaching Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambore), Shekhawati, and Jaisalmer,” he said.

 

Mahesh Kumar, a tourist guide at Amer Palace, near Jaipur, said that tourists visiting monuments and other places have increased compared to summer, but the full flow will be seen at the end of July and will continue till March.

 

According to the trade industry, tourism contributes roughly 12-14 per cent to the state’s economy and employs over 7.5-8 million, the third-largest after agriculture and textiles. 

 

Tourism department data showed over 232 million tourists visited Rajasthan during the 2024 calendar year. Among these, more than 230 million were domestic tourists, and around 0.2 million were foreigners.