The World Travel and Tourism Council India Initiative (WTTCII) and Hotelivate, have announced the release of the 7th edition of the India State Ranking Survey.
The State Ranking Survey by WTTCII and Hotelivate is a biennial publication except for 2021. The publication aims to analyze the state-wise potential of travel and tourism in India and assess the relative competitiveness of different states within the country.
The official release of the 2024 India State Ranking Survey by WTTCII and Hotelivate took place on Tuesday, 12 March at The Lalit New Delhi. On the occasion of the launch, and based on the findings of the 2024 report, WTTCII and Hotelivate also hosted an Award Ceremony to felicitate the best-performing states.
The award ceremony was instituted to acknowledge and recognise the initiatives taken by the different Indian states in policy impetus and prioritisation of Travel and Tourism – a key contributor to economic growth and a catalyst for the overall development of the nation. The ‘WTTCII-Hotelivate State Ranking Survey 2024 Awards’ serves to encourage state governments and administrations to take the lead in India’s quest for excellence in Tourism.
This year, the Awards were announced under the following six categories:
- Northeastern Destination Leadership Award 2024- The Northeastern State with the overall best performance in the region based on 14 key parameters. The Government of Sikkim was recognized under this category.
- Northeastern Destination Leadership Award 2024 1st Runners up – The Northeastern State with the overall second-best performance in the region based on 14 key parameters. The Government of Tripura was recognized under this category.
- Movers and Shakers Awards 2024- State which has improved the most over 5 years, biggest mover since the Survey Rankings of 2019 to achieve a noteworthy ranking in 2024. The Governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were recognized under this category for moving up 5 ranks each since 2019.
- Destination Stewardship Award 2024- States that have improved the most since the inception of the survey, biggest movers since the Survey Rankings of 2009 to 2024, to achieve noteworthy rankings in 2024. The Government of Uttar Pradesh was recognized under this category for moving from the 19th rank in 2009 to the 10th rank in 2024.
- Destination Leadership Award 2024 – State with the overall best performance in 2024 based on 14 key parameters. The Government of Gujarat was recognized under this category scoring the highest with 135.5 points out of 183.
- Destination Leadership Award 2024 1st Runners Up – State with the overall second-best performance in 2024 based on 14 key parameters. The Government of Goa was recognized under this category.
The Ceremony was graced by Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa, and former CEO of the NITI Aayog and Manisha Saxena, DG Tourism, Government of India.
Kant emphasized the significance of tourism as a driver for economic expansion and employment generation nationwide. He highlighted the ranking provided by the survey and consequent competitiveness among states as a crucial factor propelling progress and change in the Travel & tourism industry. Kant conveyed his positive outlook for the future growth of the tourism sector, with a particular focus on the potential of the youth and workforce in the country.
Saxena expressed optimism regarding the future of the tourism sector. She underscored the crucial role of collaboration between state and central governments in advancing the industry. Additionally, Saxena highlighted central initiatives like the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ and ‘Chalo India’ campaigns aimed at fostering growth within the tourism sector.
“Since its inception in 2009, the aim of the State Ranking Survey was to create and implement a comprehensive analytical framework to identify the scope for improvement within the Travel and Tourism Sector and spotlight the efforts of the state governments in India. The survey is an effort to facilitate positive change in tourism policies and catalyse a more supportive stance from state governments towards the industry. It is heartening to note that numerous Indian states have embraced constructive measures and demonstrated commendable progress, as evidenced by the latest rankings and we hope that this positive trajectory continues in the future.” says Manav Thadani, Founder Chairman – of Hotelivate
The India State Ranking Survey, conducted jointly by Hotelivate in collaboration with WTTCII, meticulously evaluates the landscape of travel and tourism across all States. Through the assessment of GSDP, tourist footfalls, connectivity, marketing strategies, and environmental sustainability, the survey sheds light on the individual performance of the States underlining the strong economic potential of travel & tourism. It aspires not only to gauge competitiveness but also to commend and endorse progressive policy initiatives while encouraging dynamic collaborations between the private and public sectors.
The award ceremony honouring top-performing States serves as a distinguished recognition from the private sector for their excellence in travel & tourism. Sustainability would be a key focus for States in the future and with our parent body WTTC and our partnership with GSTC India Working Group we will push the cause with them. Sustainability will be a critical focus for States moving forward. With our parent body WTTC and strategic alliance with the GSTC India Working Group, we’re prepared to passionately support and guide States in this cause.”
Dr Jyostna Suri, Vice Chairperson, WTTCII, said, “We extend our deepest appreciation to the support we received from the Central and State Governments and Industry at the State Ranking Survey launch. Our unwavering commitment is to foster States excelling in tourism, recognizing their infrastructure, policies and practices.
WTTCII, in collaboration with all stakeholders, aspires to position these captivating destinations prominently on the global tourism map We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Manav Thadani, Founder Chairman of Hotelivate, and his exceptional team for their dedicated efforts in compiling this insightful biennial report. We express our sincere appreciation to the Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Manisha Saxena, for her gracious presence, and eagerly anticipate continued coordination with the Ministry of Tourism to achieve collective victories for our sector.
It was an honour to have Amitabh Kant, Sherpa, G20 India as the Chief Guest, which reflects an enduring confidence he reposed in WTTCII spanning over 23 years. Kant has offered invaluable insights that we are committed to integrating into our future initiatives. States must recognize the substantial impact of the travel and tourism sector on job creation and employment opportunities to drive inclusive economic growth.”
The study takes into account 28 states and 2 Union Territories. Table 1 outlines the sample set of states and Union Territories covered in this survey. It must be noted that in addition to the 12 parameters used in the last survey, we have included Cleanliness and Smart City Initiatives as new parameters this year. All parameters have been assigned a specific weightage commensurate to their individual impact on the hospitality industry (Table 2).
Table 1:
| 1) | Andhra Pradesh | 11) | Jammu & Kashmir | 21) | Odisha | |
| 2) | Arunachal Pradesh | 12) | Jharkhand | 22) | Punjab | |
| 3) | Assam | 13) | Karnataka | 23) | Rajasthan | |
| 4) | Bihar | 14) | Kerala | 24) | Sikkim | |
| 5) | Chhattisgarh | 15) | Madhya Pradesh | 25) | Tamil Nadu | |
| 6) | Delhi* | 16) | Maharashtra | 27) | Telangana | |
| 7) | Goa | 17) | Manipur | 28) | Tripura | |
| 8) | Gujarat | 18) | Meghalaya | 29) | Uttar Pradesh | |
| 9) | Haryana | 19) | Mizoram | 29) | Uttarakhand | |
| 10) | Himachal Pradesh | 20) | Nagaland | 30) | West Bengal | |
| * Does not include Gurugram, NOIDA, Greater NOIDA, Ghaziabad and Faridabad | ||||||
Table 2:
| Parameters | Assigned Weight | Impact | ||
| Tourist Visits | 30 | High | ||
| State Expenditure on Tourism | 25 | High | ||
| Green Cover | 20 | High | ||
| Intangible Aspects | 15 | Medium | ||
| Presence of Branded Hotel Rooms | 13 | Medium | ||
| GSDP Per Capita | 10 | Medium | ||
| Effectiveness of Marketing Campaign | 10 | Medium | ||
| Urbanisation | 10 | Medium | ||
| Road and Railway Infrastructure | 10 | Medium | ||
| Aircraft Movement | 10 | Medium | ||
| Ease of Doing Business | 10 | Medium | ||
| Cleanliness | 10 | Medium | ||
| Literacy Rate | 5 | Low | ||
| Smart City Initiatives | 5 | Low | ||
| Total | 183 | |||
India’s diversity, cultural richness, and robust economy, driven by a sizable youth population, make it an appealing destination for both domestic and international strategic investments. India ranks 9th out of all G20 countries, signalling that although the travel and tourism sector is well established, ongoing developments in policy, tourist infrastructure, safety, health, technology adaptation, and environmental sustainability continue to hold potential for improvement.
Furthermore, as this report identifies the best-performing states on various parameters, it could certainly serve to inspire other counterparts to experiment with their policy decisions and implement solutions.
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