Tourism likely to jump by 10-12% this year in poll-bound Rajasthan

Tourists are flocking to Rajasthan and the poll-bound state is likely to see a 10 to 12 per cent uptick in tourism footfall this year as compared to the last year, according to trade industry experts.

Famous for its culture, forts and palaces, Rajasthan attracted around 6.5 crore domestic and foreign tourists in the first six months of this year. More than 1.5 lakh tourists visited the capital Jaipur during the Diwali week from November 9 to 15.

As per the government figures, over 10.85 crore tourists visited Rajasthan last year.

“With many tourists arriving in the so-called lean or off-season period of summer, it is now estimated that the tourists may increase by 10 to 12 per cent during this calendar year as compared to the last year,” the industry experts said.

Trade experts estimate that the number of tourists visiting Jaipur alone may reach 15,000 to 18,000 per day during the remaining months of this financial year.

Prithvi Singh of Heritage Hotel Narayan Niwas said the current occupancy of his hotel is more than 75-80 per cent.

He said the same is the condition of almost all the big hotels in the state.

“The wedding season has not started yet. It will start from November 23, 2023, during that period it will be difficult to even get a room in cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ranthambore or Udaipur to name a few,” Singh said.

“We are expecting lots of domestic and foreign tourists visiting the state during the Christmas and New Year. In such a situation, the tourism sector of Rajasthan is estimating that the number of tourists this year should be 10 to 12 per cent more than last year,” said Sanjay Kaushik of Rajasthan Holiday Makers, a travel agency.

Kaushik said fewer tourists are visiting right now than were expected because of the election season.

“During election time, there is a problem of checking and carrying cash, hence the number of domestic tourists is less in election-bound states,” he said.

There will definitely be an increase in the number of tourists after the polls, he said, adding that the Ukraine-Russia and the Israel-Palestine wars have also somewhat affected foreign tourism.

The assembly election in the state is slated to be held on November 25 and counting of votes will take place on December 3.