Gujarat Tourism is creating a buzz and witnessing a consistent surge in popularity among both domestic and international visitors. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, addition of new tourism infrastructure has elevated Gujarat’s tourism sector to a new height. Between April 1 and June 10, 2024, (the period of summer vacation), Gujarat’s 12 tourist attractions, and pilgrimage sites welcomed over 1.35 crore tourists. This marks a 17 % increase from 2023 when 1.14 crore tourists had visited these destinations during the same period.
Popular attractions in Gujarat such as the Statue of Unity (SoU), Atal Bridge, Riverfront-Flower Park, Kankaria Lake, Somnath Temple, Ambaji Temple, Pavagadh Temple, Dwarika Temple, Science City-Ahmedabad, Vadnagar, Gir and Devalia Safari, as well as the Ahmedabad Metro Railway, attracted a large number of visitors.
Tourist footfall at the 12 tourist destinations during summer vacation illustrated in the table below-
Tourist Attractions April-2023 April-2024 May-2023 May-2024
Statue of Unity 158605 176942 185989 266835
Atal Bridge 209218 184924 264956 241581
River Front-Flower Park 14965 38538 14718 16548
Kankariya Lake 517438 534639 664400 575987
Pavagadh Temple 647712 678508 523307 533281
Ambaji Temple 518464 947714 648890 927423
Science City 79984 87010 127568 108408
Vadnagar 31247 41302 33341 35152
Somnath Temple 762558 564676 1018113 924585
Dwarika Temple 658403 527378 657606 1103110
Gir And Devaliya Safari 68580 55998 116011 106935
Ahmedabad Metro 1563501 2306591 2005374 2547534
Total 5230675 6144220 6260273 7387379
Historic City Ahmedabad Emerges as Top Destination for Tourists
Ahmedabad, renowned for its rich cultural heritage and long history remained the top choice among tourists visiting the state of Gujarat to feel the essence of Gujarat (‘Khushbu Gujarat Ki’). In the fiscal year 2023-24, Ahmedabad followed by Banaskantha and Gir Somnath emerged as the three most popular districts among tourists.
Top 10 Districts (Year 2023-24) Top 10 Tourist Destinations (Year 2023-24)
S.NO District Number of Tourists (in Lakhs) S.NO Tourist destination Number of Tourists (in Lakhs)
1 Ahmedabad 426.96 1 Ahmedabad City 225.8
2 Banaskantha 185.21 2 Ambaji Temple 164.6
3 Gir Somnath 139.43 3 Somnath Temple 97.93
4 Devbhumi Dwarika 138.29 4 Dwarika Temple 83.54
5 Panchmahal 104.43 5 Kankariya Lake 79.67
6 Surat 83.64 6 Pavagadh 76.66
7 Mahesana 83.21 7 Surat City 62.31
8 Kacchh 75.21 8 Sabarmati Riverfront 44.76
9 Junagadh 66.07 9 Statue of Unity 43.53
10 Vadodara 57.7 10 Dakor 34.22
₹2077 Crore Fiscal Support for Tourism Development in 2024-25
The government has implemented several initiatives to boost Gujarat tourism which has the potential to generate new employment opportunities. For the year 2024-25, the government allocated ₹2077 crore to develop tourist destinations, bolster the key infrastructure at religious and cultural sites, adventure sports, and eco-tourism projects.
Hosting G20 Events Propelled Gujarat Tourist Destinations on World Stage
A number of G-20 engagements were hosted in the state of Gujarat during India’s Presidency of G20 in 2023. The Gujarat government showcased state’s rich culture and heritage among the G-20 representatives by successfully convening the G-20 events at Gujarat’s top destinations such as Dhordo of Kutch and the Statue of Unity. G-20 delegates visited attractions such as Dholavira, Modhera Sun Temple, Ahmedabad’s historical sites, GIFT City, and Dandi Kutir, and expressed their immense appreciation. The visits are assumed to have left a lasting impression and played a role in bringing them back to Gujarat.