Revenue from ticket sales at heritage sites under the Archaeological Survey of India has declined over the past five years (Photo: Ministry of Culture)
There has been a serious divergence in visitor numbers and ticket sales at over 143 heritage monuments managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) across India, while the total footfall at these sites rose to 54.9 million in FY 2023-24, marking a 19.35 pc increase from FY 2019-20, revenue from ticket sales declined by 2.83 pc over the same period.
This was stated by Ministry of Tourism of the Union Government in an report presented in the Rajya Sabha, which highlights a dichotomy in India’s heritage tourism sector.
The report says that the data highlights a divergence between growing tourism demand and revenue realisation, pointing to evolving visitor trends, pricing structures and access dynamics in India’s heritage tourism sector.