As the world celebrates Tourism Day today (September 27), the government’s published tourist figures appear to diverge from reality.

Tourism spots in Gujarat lack basic amenities and fail to attract both foreign and out-of-state visitors. Despite this, the government boasts about inflated statistics, showing a high number of local tourists who visit in the morning and return by evening.

Tourists who encounter a lack of amenities have a bad experience and do not return to the tourist spots in Gujarat. The government claims that 18.59 crore tourists visited in 2023-24, but over 94% of these were local or residents of the state.

In districts where tourism sites are located, government circuit houses have been built. These are primarily used by politicians and babus, so private tourists often do not have access to them. As the rates for private accommodations at circuit houses are not affordable, people prefer staying in private hotels.

Increase in visitors but decrease in amenities

The government acknowledges that 17.50 crore local tourists visited over the year, while the number of foreign tourists was only 23 lakh. Although the corporation claims a 24% increase in tourists over a year, it does not provide data on the decline in amenities.

Key tourist sites lack facilities such as vehicle parking, clean water, electricity, transportation, guides, and sufficient hotel and restaurant options. Due to a lack of amenities, the number of tourists visiting Gujarat’s only hill station, Saputara, has decreased to just 11 lakh in a year.

For UNESCO-listed sites, the lack of basic facilities means that tourists struggle to find accommodation or meals. Beach tourism in the state is also in decline, and the Dinosaur Park in Balasinor lacks any accommodation arrangements. The only exception is Sasan Gir, where a significant number of tourists visit to see lions each year.

25% of tourists visit pilgrimage sites

Regarding religious tourism, the highest number of visitors over the year includes 16.5 crore at Ambaji, 97.93 lakh at Somnath, 83.54 lakh at Dwarka, 76.66 lakh at Pavagadh, and 34.22 lakh at Dakor.

In total, the tourism department has counted 4.57 crore devotees, which is a figure the pilgrimage development board could rightfully claim.

Misleading statistics

The statistics provided by the Gujarat Tourism Corporation seem deceptive because, in one year, the number of tourists skyrocketed from 2.67 crore to 14.98 crore. Excluding the pandemic, the average number of tourists in the state has consistently remained around 5-6 crore.

Tourism in Guj in past five years

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