- Delhi leads India with 3.22 million arrivals, but low stays.
- It sees more than twice Mumbai’s foreign tourist traffic.
- Heritage drives tourism demand in the capital.
DELHI RECORDED 3.22 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2024, accounting for 38.9 per cent of India’s total international arrivals, according to the Delhi Economic Survey 2025–26. It leads other cities by a wide margin but has a low conversion of arrivals into longer stays.
Delhi handles more than twice the foreign tourist traffic of Mumbai and nearly four times that of southern metros, The Economic Times reported, citing government data, due to its connectivity, aviation capacity and status as the capital. Its airport’s global links make it the default entry point for foreign travelers.
Mumbai, the second-busiest international gateway handled 1.56 million foreign tourists in 2024, about half of Delhi’s total, highlighting the gap with other cities. Chennai recorded about 0.81 million international arrivals and Bengaluru about 0.7 million.
Hyderabad recorded 0.39 million arrivals, followed by Kochi with 0.37 million and Kolkata with 0.28 million. Ahmedabad recorded 0.22 million foreign tourists, The Times reported.
However, when measured by visits or stays, Delhi is not the most visited destination. In 2024, it accounted for 9.6 per cent of total foreign tourist visits, ranking sixth among states and Union Territories. It trailed Maharashtra with 17.7 per cent, West Bengal with 14.9 per cent, Gujarat with 10.9 per cent, Uttar Pradesh with 10.8 per cent and Rajasthan with 9.9 per cent.
Among destinations, Delhi stands out as a heritage hub.
“It is true that a large proportion of foreign tourists land in Delhi but quickly move on to destinations such as Agra, Jaipur, or Varanasi,” an official said, according to The Times. “The challenge is to convert arrivals into longer stays. The government is already working on this. Delhi competes with states that have more diverse tourism ecosystems, including beaches, wildlife and hill destinations, but Delhi has strong heritage assets that need to be promoted.”
Heritage continues to drive tourism demand in the capital, The Times reported. Two of Delhi’s monuments are among India’s most visited centrally protected sites. Qutub Minar recorded 3.2 million domestic visitors, ranking third nationally, while Red Fort drew 2.88 million, ranking fourth. Delhi is the only city with two monuments in the top five, reflecting its historical significance.
At the national level, the Taj Mahal leads with 6.26 million visitors, nearly double the Sun Temple in Konark at 3.57 million.
Tourism promotion experts said improving last-mile connectivity, strengthening the nighttime economy, promoting cultural circuits and investing in urban infrastructure, cleanliness and safety are critical to improving the tourist experience.
The National Institution for Transforming India said complex regulations and strict visa rules are the main barriers to tourism growth and proposed reforms to help India reach 100 million foreign tourists and a $3 trillion tourism economy by 2047.
