Dharamshala, March 26 -- Although the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Himachal Pradesh has steadily increased in the post-COVID years-following a drastic decline during the pandemic-it remains significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels.

According to estimates from the tourism department, 82,765 foreign tourists visited Himachal Pradesh in 2024, an increase from 62,806 in 2023 and 29,333 in 2022. In 2021, due to the global pandemic, the number was just 4,832.

Once a favourite among international tourists, Himachal, a picturesque hill state, saw a significant decline in tourist numbers during the Covid-19 outbreak. To put things in perspective, 3.83 lakh foreign tourists had visited the state in 2019 before the pandemic hit. The s...