New Delhi, Dec. 16 -- India's central bank recently released the 10th edition of its Handbook of Statistics on Indian States. Among its new additions is state-wise data on domestic tourist visits. Goa, despite its salience as a holiday spot, is a small player on this chart, with just under 10 million visitors in 2024.

What stands out are the post-pandemic travel gains made by large states. Uttar Pradesh recorded nearly 647 million arrivals, up almost 21% over pre-covid year 2019, while the next biggest draw Tamil Nadu got around 307 million, a 38% drop. Karnataka's count last year was about 305 million, a 34% jump, and that of Andhra Pradesh was 290 million, up 23%.

The big winner, however, was fifth-placed Rajasthan, whose 2024 tourist...