Foreign tourist footfall rises, likely to hit 40% of pre-pandemic years

Jaipur: After more than two years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the first group of foreign tourists arrived in Jaipur through a cruise liner which reached Mumbai on Tuesday.
As many as 82 German tourists used Hapag Lloyd, perhaps the world’s highest ranked cruise liner, to Jaipur through Mumbai.
Khalid Khan, executive director of Le Passage, which is organizing the tour, said, “These days, one can see foreign tourists moving around the city. It is a good sign that foreigners have again started travelling. The Germans coming to Jaipur using a cruse liner breeds optimism that sooner or later, we will get back to the pre-pandemic days.”
Before the pandemic, Rajasthan used to receive about 17 lakh foreign tourists. The number of footfalls plunged to below 35000 in 2021. But now, the numbers are slowly increasing. Khan said, “The foreign tourist inflows are increasing. In the current financial year, we expect to reach 40-45% of the numbers Rajasthan used to get before the pandemic. The state is a key destination in India for the overseas travellers.”
Many of the tourism products in Rajasthan are naturally inclined to the likes of the overseas travellers. The heritage, culture and the colourful rural life have been a magnet for them. Accordingly, the hospitality and other service providers have created new experiences and assets for them.
In fact, recently the state tourism department participated in the World Travel Market, London, a premier trade show in the world.