Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve recorded its highest-ever tourist footfall in 2025-26, welcoming 4.68 lakh visitors during the financial year, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday. The UNESCO World Heritage Site registered an increase of more than 15 per cent compared to the previous year, when 4.06 lakh tourists visited the park. The chief minister described 2025-26 as the “best year on record” for Kaziranga and said the growth reflected Assam’s continued focus on wildlife conservation and tourism development. “Tourist footfall rose to 4.68 lakh, up from 4.06 lakh the previous year. A decade ago, the figure stood at just 1.55 lakh. The transformation has been steady, deliberate and sustained,” Sarma said in a series of posts on X.
The chief minister also highlighted a significant rise in international arrivals. According to him, the number of foreign tourists increased from 17,693 to 30,474 during the last fiscal year, indicating growing global interest in Assam’s premier wildlife destination. Sarma further stated that Kaziranga has attracted 5.48 lakh visitors since April 2025, making it one of India’s most successful tourism destinations. He said visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the King of Bhutan and more than 60 Heads of Mission had helped enhance the park’s international profile. “When travellers from across the world choose Assam, it validates our efforts to build globally competitive tourism infrastructure,” he said. The chief minister credited the state’s conservation efforts for strengthening Kaziranga’s appeal. He said Assam had achieved several years of zero rhino poaching in the park and pointed to recent sightings of the rare Golden Tiger, growth in the one-horned rhinoceros population, increasing Gangetic dolphin tourism and the return of migratory birds such as the Smew as indicators of a healthier ecosystem.
Sarma also highlighted the expansion of tourism activities across the region, including boat safaris in Panpur and Laokhowa-Burachapori, cycling trails, birdwatching circuits, trekking routes and community-based tourism initiatives aimed at generating livelihood opportunities for local residents. Referring to the proposed Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project, the chief minister said the initiative would ensure safer wildlife movement while improving connectivity for people and visitors. “Development and conservation must move together,” he said. He added that Assam’s tourism strategy remains focused on three key goals — protecting nature, creating livelihoods and developing destinations capable of attracting visitors from across the world.