Key Indian monuments witness 19 pc increase in footfall from 2019 to 2024: Data

Indias centrally protected ticketed monuments experienced an over 19 per cent surge in footfall in 202324 compared to the prepandemic levels but this did not translate into higher revenue from ticket sales which dropped by 283 per cent official data showsAn analysis of the Archaeological Survey of India ASI data presented in the Rajya Sabha covering 143 monuments shows a complex recovery picture for these key heritage sites contextualised by broader national trends reported in the Ministry of Tourisms India Tourism Data Compendium 2024The total footfall across these listed monuments increased by 1935 per cent from approximately 460 crore in 201920 to 549 crore in 202324 the data showedHowever despite the surge in the number of visitors the combined revenue from ticket sales at these monuments saw a decline of 283 per cent during the fiveyear period dropping from Rs 31254 crore in 201920 to Rs 30370 crore in 202324This suggests a shift in the visitor composition at these sites A direct comparison of visitor data for centrally protected ticketed monuments between 201920 and 202324 reveals divergent trendsWhile domestic tourist visits surged by 2175 per cent from 436 crore in 201920 to 531 crore in 202324 foreign tourist visits decreased by 1603 per cent from 2756 lakh in 201920 to 2315 lakh in 202324 according to the dataThe increase in the domestic visitor segment coupled with a decline in the number of higherpaying foreign visitors compared to the prepandemic levels appears to be the primary factor behind the stagnant overall monument revenue despite higher total footfallThis trend mirrors the national picture where Foreign Tourist Arrivals FTAs in India in 2023 952 lakh recovered to only about 87 per cent of the 2019 levelsThe resulting lower average revenue per visitor at the monuments likely stemming from this altered visitor mix and the ASIs differential pricing structure aligns with the broader national context where Foreign Exchange Earnings FEEs from tourism overall stood at USD 2808 billion in 2023 lower than the 2019 peak of USD 3072 billionThe broader tourism sector remains a significant economic contributor nationally with its total direct indirect share estimated to be 5 per cent of the GDP and supporting 762 crore jobs in 202223 according to the Tourism Satellite Account dataPerformance varied dramatically across individual monumentsWhile sites like Rajarani Temple 301 per cent Ashokan Rock Edict 251 per cent and Konark Sun Temple 535 per cent saw massive revenue growth 202324 vs 201920 others like Tirumalai Nayaks Palace 982 per cent Moovarkoil 901 per cent and Agra Fort 472 per cent saw sharp declinesThese stark differences likely stem from various sitespecific factors which could range from restoration activities impacting access changes in regional tourism promotion and infrastructure or shifts in popular visitor circuits Specific reasons for each monuments performance are not detailed in the analysed dataThe performance of iconic monuments underscores the trendThe Taj Mahal saw the footfall jump by 3127 per cent but the revenue rose only 148 per cent Qutub Minars footfall surged by 451 per cent and revenue by 18 per cent Conversely Humayuns Tomb saw footfall increased by 166 per cent while revenue dropped by 298 per centAccording to the India Tourism Data Compendium 2024 the Taj Mahal was the most popular among visitors in 202324 with 61 lakh domestic and 68 lakh foreign touristsKonark Sun Temple 32 lakh and Qutub Minar 312 lakh were the next most popular among domestic tourists For foreign visitors it was Qutub Minar 22 lakh and Agra Fort 218 lakhVisitor numbers however did not directly correlate with revenue generationThe highest revenue earners among these monuments in 202324 were Taj Mahal Rs 9855 crore Qutub Minar Rs 2380 crore Red Fort Rs 1809 crore Agra Fort Rs 1527 crore and Konark Sun Temple Rs 1266 crore according to ASI dataThe data specific to Indias protected monuments paints a picture of resilient visitor appeal particularly drawing huge numbers of domestic travellers postpandemicHowever the financial recovery at these sites measured by ticket revenue still lags behind prepandemic benchmarks reflecting the significant impact of the reduced number of foreign visitors compared to 2019 and the overall altered tourism landscapeThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoeveratOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params