Nagaland recorded 5,425 foreign tourist visits during 2025, placing it seventh among the eight northeastern states, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The figure puts Nagaland ahead of only Manipur, which recorded 2,892 foreign tourist visits during the year. Arunachal Pradesh registered 4,582 visits, while Meghalaya recorded 7,116 and Mizoram 11,484.
At the other end of the regional table, Sikkim recorded 68,992 foreign tourist visits in 2025, the highest among the eight states. Assam followed with 33,858, while Tripura recorded 27,320.
The figures were shared by Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in response to a question in the Lok Sabha. They represent foreign tourist visits (FTVs) and not the number of unique individual tourists.
The data also provides a glimpse of the region’s tourism trend in the first half of 2026. From January to June, Sikkim recorded 43,734 foreign tourist visits, followed by Assam with 32,471. Tripura recorded 9,424 visits and Mizoram 7,389.
The Lok Sabha reply did not provide a January-June 2026 foreign tourist visit figure for Nagaland in the data available.
On the domestic tourism front, Sikkim recorded 23.52 lakh tourist visits between January and June 2026, while Assam recorded 46.04 lakh, according to the data.
The figures come as the Centre continues efforts to promote tourism across the Northeast. In his reply, Shekhawat said the Ministry of Tourism supports promotion of destinations and tourism products in the region through promotional events, assistance to states for fairs and festivals, exhibitions, websites and social media.
One of the ministry’s key initiatives is the International Tourism Mart (ITM), which has been organised in the Northeast since 2013. The annual event brings together tourism businesses and entrepreneurs from the region with buyers, sellers, media, government agencies and other stakeholders.
The latest edition was held in Gangtok, Sikkim, from November 13 to 16, 2025.
The ministry has also promoted Northeast destinations through the Incredible India Digital Platform (IIDP), launched after the revamp of the Incredible India website in September 2024. According to Shekhawat, the platform features tourism destinations across the region and is available in Hindi, English and United Nations languages.
The ministry also uses its social media platforms for promotional content and live sessions focused on destinations in the Northeast.
(With inputs from Business Today)
