Jaipur: The ongoing conflict in West Asia has cast a long shadow over Rajasthan’s tourism industry, with foreign tourist arrivals dropping by 40–50%. What began as a promising season has quickly turned into a struggle, as cancellations for April continue to pour in.Industry representatives pointed to multiple factors behind the downturn, such as reduced international flight frequency, sharply rising travel costs, inflation driven by soaring oil and gas prices, and widespread geopolitical uncertainty.Surendra Singh Shahpura, president of the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR), said, “Foreign tourist arrivals have fallen by up to 50%. Overall, hotel occupancy has declined to 50%, compared to 75–80% in March.”Ranvijay Singh, senior vice-president of the Federation of Rajasthan Hotels, noted that the year began on an optimistic note, but the conflict derailed expectations.“The industry was expecting a much better March and April. Foreign tourist inflow revived after January. But the sudden crisis in the Guld singed all that. The gas scarcity has even forced hotels to scale back menus, discouraging domestic travellers,” said Singh.He said the summer vacation travel that starts from May onwards is looking shaky now.Shahpura emphasised that rising travel costs will be a major hurdle in reviving momentum. “If the geopolitical situation returns to normalcy in 15–20 days, we might see a revival. Otherwise, it is going to be a long summer for the tourism industry,” he said.The industry is now looking at how the after-effect of the conflict is going to play out. The stock market crash will have a major impact on the travel decisions of the domestic vacationers, said Singh.The crisis underscores how global instability can ripple through local economies, leaving Rajasthan’s vibrant hospitality sector grappling with shrinking demand and rising costs.
