New Delhi, Dec 25 (NationPress) In 2023, India welcomed 18.89 million international tourists, and foreign exchange earnings (FEEs) from tourism soared to Rs 231,927 crore, as reported by the government on Wednesday.

The number of foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India for 2023 stood at 9.52 million, while domestic tourist visits (DTVs) reached 2,509 million, according to data shared by the Ministry of Tourism.

The ministry has approved a total of 76 projects worth Rs 5,287.90 Crore under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, with 75 projects already completed.

Of these, 40 projects amounting to Rs 3,295.76 crore were given the green light under the special assistance to states for capital investment (SASCI) initiative aimed at developing iconic tourist centers on a global scale across 23 states, and 34 projects received Rs 793.20 crore under the 'Swadesh Darshan 2.0' program.

The Swadesh Darshan Scheme has been restructured and renamed as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0), focusing on creating sustainable and responsible destinations with a tourist and destination-centric approach.

The Ministry of Tourism has also approved 48 projects for a total of Rs 1,646.99 Crore under the PRASHAD Scheme, with 23 projects already completed.

A total of 65 projects costing Rs 937.56 crore have been approved under the Assistance to Central Agencies Scheme, of which 38 projects have been finalized.

The government has established guidelines for 'Challenge Based Destination Development' as a sub-scheme of Swadesh Darshan 2.0 aimed at improving the tourist experience across all aspects of the tourism value chain.

The ministry has identified 42 destinations across various tourism themes for development under the scheme.

The 'Chalo India' campaign was launched to encourage the Indian diaspora to promote India among their non-Indian friends worldwide; as part of the campaign, one lakh free e-visas for foreign tourists visiting India were issued.

The ministry also introduced the 'Incredible India Content Hub' to provide a centralized source of content for the global travel and tourism sector regarding Incredible India.