NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh top a list of states visited by Indian tourists last year, Tourism Ministry has said.
As per data released by the Ministry, a total of 344.3 million domestic tourists visited Tamil Nadu in 2016 while 229.6 million Uttar Pradesh.
The number of domestic tourist visits (DTVs), compiled by Union Tourism Ministry after receiving data from the states and the Union Territories, increased to 1,653 million last year as compared to 1,432 million in 2015, it said.
Similarly, Madhya Pradesh received 184.7 million tourists, Andhra Pradesh 158.5 million and Karnataka 129.8 million last year.
Maharashtra recorded 115.4 million tourist visits last year, while West Bengal (74.5 million), Telangana (71.5 million), Gujarat (42.8 million) and Rajasthan (41.5 million).
The domestic tourism sector continued its growth momentum with recording a jump of 15.5 per cent in tourist visits to various states and Union Territories during 2016, the release said.
In 2015, the growth was 11 per cent over 2014, showing the sector is continuing with its forward march as government hinges on tourism for boosting economic growth, it said. -PTI
