The number of tourist arrivals in India has steadily increased over the years; in 1995, the country saw 2.12 million tourist arrivals, while by 2002 this number had increased to 2.36 million, according to the Neon Carrot travelogue. In total, India receives about four million tourists each year, according to a 2007 estimate by the Asia Times newspaper. Domestic travel has also increased, rising by 30 percent from 2000 to 2004, according to Neon Carrot.
The I Love India website says that India's tourism growth spurt has in part been fueled by increasing numbers of domestic tourists within the country. These people are benefiting from the country's soaring economy and can afford to travel within India.
The Indian government, however, has also contributed significantly to this growth. The I Love India website attributes a successful marketing campaign by the Indian Tourism Ministry, entitled "Incredible India," as spearheading an increase in foreign tourists visiting the country in the 2000s.
The Trade Chakra website suggests that heritage tourism, a strand of tourism concerned with a country's cultural history, is likely to eventually generate more revenue for India than any other type of tourism. The sector includes sites such as the Taj Mahal, which drew more than three million visitors in 2003 according to the BBC. That said however, many landmarks saw a slight drop in visitor numbers in 2009, with the Delhi-based monument Qutub Minar being one of the few attractions to increase its visitor numbers compared with the year before, as reported by the Indian Express publication.
The Indian Express suggests that the the numbers dropped because of a wariness among travelers to head to India following the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Tourists head to India for different kinds of experiences. Some explore areas such as the Himalayan region and the Lakshadweep islands as part of a trend called ecotourism. Adventure sports, meanwhile, are popular, with visitors heading to India for sports such as climbing and scuba diving.
One area which has experienced considerable growth is medical tourism, as noted by the Trade Chakra website. Essentially, overseas visitors travel to India to undergo surgery, along with treatments such as ayurvedic therapy, at cheaper rates than in their country of origin.
India has made provisions within its large railway network for tourists. The network, which transports some 11 million people on a daily basis according to the All India Travel website, features special tourist trains, such as the Shatabdi express service, which travels short distances at 80 miles an hour, and the grand Palace on Wheels. The Palace is a train service which models itself on the style of traveling enjoyed by India's maharajahs in the 19th century. The service features dining cars, two bars and cabins designed to place tourists in the lap of luxury.
