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SRINAGAR: Tourist arrivals in Jammu and Kashmir have recorded a significant jump in the past year, even as the Union government admitted in Parliament that it has not conducted any dedicated study on the problem of overcrowding at India’s most popular destinations.
According to figures tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir saw 2.35 crore domestic tourist visits in 2024, up from 2.06 crore in 2023. Foreign tourist arrivals also registered growth, rising from 55,337 in 2023 to 65,452 in 2024.
This makes Jammu and Kashmir one of the leading destinations in northern India, surpassing states such as Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh in sheer domestic tourist inflow. In comparison, Ladakh recorded a decline, slipping from nearly 4.9 lakh domestic visits in 2023 to 3.36 lakh in 2024, though foreign arrivals in Ladakh grew marginally.
The data was provided by Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in response to a question on overcrowding at tourist destinations. While acknowledging that overcrowding is increasingly being reported at leading destinations, the Minister said no specific study has been undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism to assess its impact. Instead, he emphasised that management and development of destinations lie with the respective State and Union Territory administrations.
Shekhawat informed the House that the Centre, through its Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme and the Challenge Based Destination Development initiative, is extending financial assistance to states and UTs for sustainable tourism projects. These include provisions for carrying capacity management such as eco-friendly transport, CCTV monitoring, solar lighting, waste management, and bio-toilets.
He further said that under the ‘Special Assistance to the States for Capital Investment’ scheme, the government has sanctioned 40 projects across the country. States and UTs have been advised to assess and finalise the carrying capacities of destinations as part of their project reports. In addition, the government has framed a National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and rolled out the ‘Travel for LiFE’ programme to encourage responsible travel practices.
Despite the surge in visitors, the government does not maintain data on tourist accidents, a point that drew concern from opposition members during the discussion.
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