The Chief Minister's Office of Assam on Sunday, 31 May 2026 shared that Kaziranga National Park recorded a 15 per cent rise in tourist footfall in FY 2025-26, citing the figure as a marker of the park's growing appeal as a conservation-linked tourism destination.

Context

Kaziranga National Park, located in Assam, is one of India's most celebrated wildlife sanctuaries. Declared a national park in 1974 under the Assam National Park Act, it gained global recognition when it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. The park is best known for sheltering the world's largest population of the greater one-horned rhinoceros and is also a designated Tiger Reserve.

The 15 per cent footfall increase in FY26 signals a continued post-pandemic recovery in wildlife tourism across India, with Kaziranga emerging as a flagship destination in the country's north-east.

Policy Backdrop

The Government of Assam under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has held office since 2021, has pursued a dual strategy of strengthening wildlife protection while expanding eco-tourism infrastructure around protected areas. This approach mirrors a broader national pattern that treats biodiversity hotspots as economic assets without diluting their core conservation mandates under central wildlife laws.

Assam's eco-tourism push has included investments in park-access roads, forest lodges, and visitor-experience facilities in and around Kaziranga, aimed at increasing both domestic and international arrivals while channelling revenue into local communities and conservation funds.

Stakeholders and Impact

The footfall surge has direct implications for local communities — including forest-fringe villages and tribal settlements — who depend on tourism-linked livelihoods such as hospitality, guiding, and handicrafts. Tourism operators running safari packages and resorts in the Kohora, Bagori, and Agaratoli range zones stand to benefit from higher visitor volumes.

Conservation agencies, however, will need to monitor whether rising visitor numbers strain the park's carrying capacity, particularly in core rhino-habitat zones. Balancing access with ecological integrity remains a central challenge for park management.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the release of FY 2026-27 tourist data and any new Assam tourism policy announcements or infrastructure tenders for park-access upgrades. The state government is expected to use the FY26 figures to make a case for increased budgetary allocation toward eco-tourism development in the north-east's protected-area network.

If the upward trend holds, Kaziranga could consolidate its position as one of India's top-five wildlife tourism destinations, with potential spillover benefits for neighbouring reserves such as Manas National Park and Dibru-Saikhowa.