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Tourism plays a significant role in India's economy. According to the Ministry of Tourism's Tourism Satellite Account data, the tourism sector contributed 5.22% of India's GDP in 2023-24 (provisional estimates), recovering from pandemic lows of 1.50% in 2020-21 to pre-pandemic levels of around 5%.[1][2] The World Travel and Tourism Council reported that India's travel and tourism sector contributed nearly Rs 21 trillion to the economy in 2024, supporting approximately 46.5 million jobs (9.1% of total employment).[3][4]
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, first settled around 26,000 years ago, form an archipelago of 572 tropical islands, of which only 37 are inhabited.[5][6] Tourism plays a major economic role in the islands. According to official estimates, tourist arrivals tripled from 130,000 in 2016 to 430,000 in 2017.[7]
The islands straddle the fault line between the Indo-Australian Plate and the Sunda Plate, and their topography reflects millions of years of volcanism and tectonics. Barren Island hosts South Asia’s only active volcano, which typically erupts every one to two years; its most recent eruption occurred in 2024.[8]
The most notable historical site is the Cellular Jail in Port Blair. Built in 1906 during the British Raj, it became notorious for its harsh conditions and use as a political prison for members of India’s independence movement. The former prison complex now serves as a museum and memorial.
Places of worship and pilgrimage include Parashurama Kund and the 17th‑century Tawang Monastery.[11] Tawang Monastery is the largest monastery in India and the second-largest in the world.[12] Archaeological and heritage sites include Malinithan and Ita Fort in Itanagar. Lakes include Ganga Lake (Geker Sinying) near Itanagar and lakes around Sela Pass.[13] The state offers opportunities for angling, boating, rafting, trekking, and hiking, and has multiple wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
Assam’s cultural heritage includes the period of the Ahom kingdom, which governed the region for centuries before British rule. Notable features include the Brahmaputra River, the bird-death phenomenon reported at Jatinga, and temples such as the Kamakhya Temple, associated with Tantra. Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur (Damdama Sahib) is located in Dhubri on the Brahmaputra. Guwahati, the state’s largest city, features markets, temples, and nearby wildlife sanctuaries.
Chandigarh is a city and union territory at the foothills of the Himalayas and serves as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.[18] Nicknamed the "City Beautiful," it is among India’s earliest planned cities and was designed by Swiss‑French architect Le Corbusier.[19] Major attractions include Nek Chand Rock Garden, Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, Sukhna Lake, the Open Hand Monument, and the Capitol Complex, the last of which is part of the World Heritage property "The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier."[20] In 2025, Chandigarh was adjudged the second cleanest city in its population category in the Swachh Survekshan rankings by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.[21]
Chhattisgarh became a state on 1 November 2000.[22] According to the India State of Forest Report 2023, forests cover about 44.2% of the state’s area; the report is published biennially by the Forest Survey of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.[23][24] The state features ancient monuments, temples, Buddhist sites, waterfalls, caves, rock paintings, hill plateaus, and protected forests.
Delhi is India’s national capital and a union territory.[27]Old Delhi has long served as a historic seat of power, while New Delhi was laid out in the early 20th century by architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.[28] New Delhi is noted for axial planning, broad boulevards, and monumental government buildings such as Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Parliament House.[29]
The annual Goa Carnival is a pre‑Lenten festival featuring parades, floats, music, and dance held in towns including Panaji, Margao, Vasco, and Mapusa.[32]
Gujarat is a western Indian state on the Arabian Sea, noted for archaeological sites, historic temples and mosques, coastal landscapes, and wildlife reserves. Its inscribed World Heritage properties include Rani ki Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, and Dholavira in Kachchh.[33][34][35]
The last remaining wild population of the Asiatic lion occurs in and around Gir in Saurashtra, Gujarat.[36][37] The Indus Valley site of Lothal in the Ahmedabad region is noted for an early dockyard and related maritime infrastructure.[38]
Selected attractions - Rani ki Vav (Patan) — an 11th‑century stepwell inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.[39] - Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park — a cultural landscape with fortifications, palaces, mosques, temples, and water systems spanning prehistoric to medieval periods.[40] - Dholavira (Kachchh) — one of the best-preserved urban settlements of the Harappan civilisation, with sophisticated water management.[41] - Gir Forest National Park — core area of the only wild Asiatic lion population.[42] - Lothal — Harappan settlement with an early dockyard and archaeological museum.[43]
Gurgaon (officially Gurugram) is a major city and economic centre in Haryana; nearby Sultanpur National Park is a protected wetland and Ramsar Site known for resident and migratory waterbirds.[44][45]
Pilgrimage and heritage - Kurukshetra– Historic region with numerous religious and cultural sites connected to epic traditions and later history.[46] - Jyotisar– Site promoted as the “birthplace of the Gita,” with associated temples and interpretation facilities.[47] - Thanesar– Town that includes the Sthanesvar Mahadev Temple and other shrines in the Kurukshetra area.[48] - Pehowa– A tirtha where rituals such as Pind Daan are performed at traditional ghats.[49] - Panchkula– Access point for the Morni Hills area, including lakes such as Tikkar Tal.[50] - Phalgu Tirth (Pharal)– Pilgrimage site in Kaithal district associated with Shraddha observances.[51]
Shimla, the state capital, is a popular hill station served by road, rail, and air; the Kalka–Shimla Railway is a narrow‑gauge line inscribed on UNESCO's "Mountain Railways of India."[53] Other well-known hill stations include Manali, Dalhousie, and Kasauli.
Dharamshala—home to the headquarters of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has Tibetan monasteries and Buddhist temples and serves as a base for treks in the Kangra Valley and the Dhauladhar range.[54]Bir and nearby Billing are noted paragliding sites in the district.[55] The Spiti Valley is known for high‑altitude landscapes, monasteries, and villages in a cold‑desert environment.[56]
Kashmir features lakes, gardens, and religious shrines alongside historic temples and mosques across destinations such as Srinagar, Pahalgam, and Gulmarg.[58] Major pilgrimages include Vaishno Devi, which recorded 95.22 lakh pilgrims in 2023, and the annual Amarnath Yatra, which saw about 3.69 lakh pilgrims in 2023.[59][60]
Tourist attractions include Dal Lake and the Mughal gardens of Srinagar, meadows and rivers in Pahalgam, and alpine slopes around Gulmarg; nearby valleys such as Yusmarg are also visited for outdoor recreation.[61]
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India formed on 15 November 2000. [62] Notable attractions include waterfalls near Ranchi, major Hindu and Jain pilgrimage centres, and protected forests and wildlife areas. [63]
Historic monuments span Buddhist, Jain, Hindu, and Indo-Islamic traditions, with temple and urban remains at Hampi and Chalukyan-era temples at Pattadakal, among other sites across the state. Gol Gumbaz at Vijayapura is noted for its massive dome and whispering gallery.[77][78][79]
Karnataka’s protected landscapes support significant populations of tigers and Asian elephants, with multiple tiger landscapes in the Western Ghats and documented statewide elephant populations in recent assessments.[80][81]
Kerala is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India, with tourism promoted around backwaters, beaches, hill stations, wildlife, and cultural heritage.[82] Kerala is marketed as "God's Own Country" by the state's tourism department; policy initiatives include a Responsible Tourism Mission that supports community-based, sustainable tourism.[83][84]
Major attractions include backwater cruises around Alappuzha and Kumarakom; coastal areas such as Fort Kochi, Kovalam, and Varkala; and wildlife viewing, boating, and trekking opportunities in protected landscapes of the Western Ghats.[89][90] Heritage sites and museums across cities including Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi showcase regional history, architecture, and performance traditions such as Kathakali and Koodiyattam.[91]
The Grand Kerala Shopping Festival is a state-run, December–January retail and cultural programme launched in 2007, held across registered outlets statewide.[92]
The temples at Khajuraho are known for Nagara‑style architecture and sculptural programs that include erotic imagery; Sanchi preserves a major complex of Buddhist monuments; and Bhimbetka comprises a large concentration of prehistoric rock shelters and paintings. [97][98][99]
As part of Project Cheetah, eight cheetahs from Namibia (September 2022) and a further twelve from South Africa (February 2023) were translocated to Kuno National Park in Sheopur district. [103][104][105]
Scenic river landscapes include the marble gorge at Bhedaghat near Jabalpur, part of the Bhedaghat–Lametaghāt entry on India’s Tentative List for World Heritage. [106]
Mumbai’s coastline and cityscapeKaas Plateau, part of the Western Ghats World Heritage propertyFlamingos at Thane Creek, a designated Ramsar wetland in the Mumbai Metropolitan RegionEkiv waterfall in Satara
In Mumbai, colonial-era architecture such as CSMT stands alongside modern urban development, while offshore the Elephanta cave temples preserve mid‑1st‑millennium rock‑cut art dedicated chiefly to Shiva.[110][111] In the Deccan, the mural‑rich Buddhist monastic complex at Ajanta and the multi‑faith rock‑cut ensemble at Ellora are key heritage destinations.[112]
Natural attractions include portions of the UNESCO‑inscribed Western Ghats serial property, with seasonal lateritic plateaus such as Kaas noted for wildflower blooms and endemic biodiversity.[113] The urban wetland of Thane Creek (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) is a Ramsar site that supports large congregations of flamingos and other waterbirds.[114][115]
Manipur is a state in Northeast India known for wetland landscapes, highland biodiversity, and cultural festivals centered on sites such as Loktak Lake and the surrounding protected areas.[121] Loktak is a designated Ramsar wetland notable for floating vegetated islands (phumdi) and forms part of a wider wetland complex managed for conservation and livelihoods.[122][123]
The adjacent Keibul Lamjao National Park—described as the world’s only floating national park—provides habitat for the endemic brow‑antlered deer known locally as the sangai.[124] In the Ukhrul highlands, the state‑level Shirui Lily Festival highlights conservation of the endemic Shirui lily (Lilium mackliniae).[125][126]
Selected places: - Imphal — Capital city with World War II memorial sites including the Imphal War Cemetery maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.[127] - Keibul Lamjao National Park — Floating phumdi meadows on Loktak Lake noted for the sangai deer and wetland biodiversity.[128] - Loktak Lake — Ramsar site supporting waterbirds and traditional fisheries; part of the broader Loktak wetland complex.[129][130] - Moreh — Border trade town on the India–Myanmar corridor in Tengnoupal district.[131]
Meghalaya features high‑rainfall subtropical forests and biodiverse hill landscapes across the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo Hills, with protected areas including Nokrek National Park (core of the UNESCO-recognised Nokrek Biosphere Reserve) and Balpakram National Park.[132][133]
The state’s living root bridges—locally known as jingkieng jri—were added to UNESCO’s Tentative List in 2022 as “Jingkieng jri: Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes of Meghalaya.”[134][135][136]
Around Umiam Lake, visitors can access boating and water‑sports facilities at sites managed near Shillong and in Ri‑Bhoi district.[137][138]
Selected places: - Nokrek National Park — Core of the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve on the Tura Range, noted for evergreen forests and wild citrus diversity (Citrus indica).[139][140] - Balpakram National Park — Plateau and canyon landscapes in South Garo Hills with trekking experiences described by the state tourism authority.[141] - Umiam Lake — Reservoir with boating and water‑sport options near Shillong and Nongpoh in Ri‑Bhoi district.[142] - Living root bridges — Indigenous Ficus‑based structures across southern Meghalaya valleys, on UNESCO’s Tentative List since 2022.[143]
Mizoram is a hill state in Northeast India known for subtropical evergreen forests, birdlife, and community-based tourism promoted by the state tourism department.[144]
The state bird, Mrs. Hume’s pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae), is the focus of local conservation initiatives and birdwatching interest.[148]
Cultural heritage sites include Mizo Poets’ Square (Mizo Hlakungpui Mual) at Khawbung and the megalithic complex of Kawtchhuah Ropui near Vangchhia, the latter notified as a centrally protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India.[149][150]
Odisha features coastal wetlands, temple cities, Buddhist heritage sites, and protected forests from the Mahanadi delta to the Eastern Ghats foothills. The state includes the UNESCO World Heritage Konark Sun Temple, the Ramsar‑listed Chilika Lake, and the Ramsar‑listed Bhitarkanika Mangroves.[151][152][153]
Chilika is a brackish lagoon along the Bay of Bengal, important for migratory waterbirds and fisheries; management initiatives have addressed past siltation issues documented under the Ramsar Convention.[154] In the northern delta, the Bhitarkanika mangrove ecosystem supports saltwater crocodiles and marine turtle nesting beaches and is recognized as a wetland of international importance.[155]
Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Konark form a historic "temple triangle," with Kalinga‑style monuments and pilgrimage traditions centred on the Shree Jagannath Temple and the annual Rath Yatra.[156][157] Early historic rock‑cut retreats at the Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves lie on twin hills near Bhubaneswar and are maintained in part by the Archaeological Survey of India.[158]
Buddhist sites such as Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri, and Udayagiri (Jajpur) preserve monastic remains of the "Diamond Triangle," while the Ashokan rock edicts at Dhauli document imperial inscriptions associated with Kalinga in the 3rd century BCE.[159]
The Union Territory of Puducherry comprises four coastal regions—Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahé, and Yanam—administered as a single UT with enclaves across South India.[169][170] The capital, Puducherry, preserves a historic French Quarter with colonial-era urban fabric alongside temples, churches, and civic buildings.[171]
Nearby Auroville features the Matrimandir and its Peace Area, a landscaped precinct at the township's centre that serves as a quiet meditation space and symbolic "soul" of the city.[172]
Punjab is a northwestern Indian state noted for Sikh heritage, historic cities, and festivals across destinations such as Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Patiala, and Pathankot.[173]
Rajasthan is a state in northwestern India noted for desert landscapes, historic cities, and a concentration of major forts and palaces, including UNESCO‑listed hill forts and a World Heritage wetland at Bharatpur.[183][184][185]
Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim and a base for visits to monasteries, lakes, viewpoints, and heritage sites across the state.[194] Air access is available via Pakyong Airport within Sikkim and via Bagdogra Airport in neighboring West Bengal, while rail access is via New Jalpaiguri.[195][196]
High-altitude trekking routes include Dzongri and Goecha La, with entries and logistics facilitated by registered operators under state regulations and permit requirements for certain protected areas.[201][202]
Telangana features historic monuments, temples, museums, and annual festivals across the Deccan region, with a UNESCO World Heritage site at the Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple in Mulugu district.[212][213]
Tripura features royal-era architecture, archaeological sites, and riverine hill landscapes across districts such as West Tripura, Gomati, South Tripura, and Unakoti. The former royal Ujjayanta Palace now houses the State Museum with collections on regional history, archaeology, and arts.[222][223]
At Unakoti in the Unakoti district, large rock-cut sculptures and reliefs on a forested hillside are a noted pilgrimage and heritage landscape; the site was added to India’s UNESCO Tentative List in 2022.[224]
Other places: - Bhubaneswari Temple (Udaipur, Gomati) — 17th‑century temple patronized by Maharaja Govinda Manikya, located by the Gomati River; associated with literary references by Rabindranath Tagore.[225] - Chabimura (Gomati) — river‑bank cliffs with panels of rock carvings depicting deities, accessible by boat from Amarpur and Udaipur.[226] - Pilak (South Tripura) — archaeological zone with Hindu–Buddhist remains from about the 8th to 12th centuries; antiquities from Pilak are displayed at the State Museum, Agartala.[227] - Boxanagar (West Tripura) — ASI excavations have revealed a brick stupa, chaityagriha, and monastery indicating a Buddhist establishment dating to about the 8th century CE or later.[228]
Uttar Pradesh is a northern Indian state known for UNESCO-listed Mughal heritage in Agra and major pilgrimage centers such as Varanasi and Ayodhya, drawing visitors for architecture, riverfront ghats, and museums. [238][239] The Kumbh Mela held at Prayagraj is inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. [240]
Selected places: - Agra — Three UNESCO World Heritage properties: the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri. [241][242][243] - Varanasi — Historic ghats on the Ganga and temple traditions including the Kashi Vishwanath precinct and nearby Sarnath. [244] - Ayodhya — Pilgrimage city on the Saryu, noted among the seven sacred cities in several traditions. [245] - Prayagraj — Site of the Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh gatherings recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. [246] - Sarnath — ASI site museum and archaeological park associated with early Buddhist heritage near Varanasi. [247] - Kushinagar — Major Buddhist pilgrimage center associated with the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha. [248] - Dudhwa National Park — Terai ecosystem with tiger reserve landscapes in Lakhimpur Kheri district. [249]
West Bengal features UNESCO-listed sites and diverse landscapes from the Himalayan foothills to the Sundarbans delta, alongside historic architecture in cities and temple towns. Santiniketan was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023, while Sundarbans National Park is part of the mangrove delta recognized by UNESCO since 1987; the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is included within the UNESCO "Mountain Railways of India".[250][251][252]
Selected places: - Kolkata — Colonial-era architecture and museums alongside major places of worship and cultural institutions such as Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge, Dakshineswar Kali Temple, and Belur Math.[253] - Santiniketan (Birbhum) — Historic ashram-town founded by Rabindranath Tagore; inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023.[254] - Sundarbans National Park — Mangrove landscape and tiger habitat in the lower delta, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.[255] - Darjeeling and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — Hill station and narrow-gauge rail heritage operating between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling.[256] - Bishnupur — Terracotta temples including Jor Bangla Temple and other Malla-era monuments.[257] - Bakkhali — Beach destination on the Bay of Bengal coast noted by the state tourism authority.[258]
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