Guwahati: Kaziranga National Park has registered its best-ever year for tourism, with footfall rising by over 15% over 2024-25 to touch 4.68 lakh visitors in 2025-26, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.The Unesco World Heritage Site is globally renowned for its “big five” — the one-horned rhinoceros, Royal Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, wild water buffalo, and Eastern Swamp deer — a unique set of iconic species that coexist in the same habitat.Sarma wrote on X that one of the most encouraging trends has been the rise in international visitors. “Foreign tourist arrivals increased from 17,693 to 30,474 in a single year. When travellers from across the world choose Assam, it validates our efforts to build globally competitive tourism infrastructure,” he added.Stating that financial year 2025-26 was Kaziranga’s best year on record, he wrote, “What happens when conservation is treated not as a constraint on development, but as a catalyst for growth?@kaziranga_ may have the answer. With a record-breaking 5.48 lakh visitors since April 2025, the national park is emerging as one of India’s most compelling tourism success stories.”“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,” he wrote on ‘X’.The CM attributed the growth of foreign visitors to improved infrastructure and global attention following visits by PM Narendra Modi, the King of Bhutan, and over 60 foreign envoys. “Assam is no longer a destination people discover by chance. It is increasingly becoming a destination they seek out,” Sarma said.The CM stressed that Assam’s conservation-first model has been central to this success. “From battling rhino poaching to achieving years with zero rhino poaching in Kaziranga, Assam has shown that determined governance can reverse even the toughest challenges,” he said.Rare sightings of the Golden Tiger, growing rhino populations, Gangetic Dolphin tourism, and the return of migratory species such as the Smew point to a healthier ecosystem. Sarma highlighted new attractions including boat safaris in Panpur and Laokhowa-Burachapori, cycling trails, birding circuits, trekking routes, and community-led tourism initiatives that are creating opportunities for local youth and entrepreneurs.Looking ahead, the upcoming Kaziranga Elevated Corridor is expected to balance development with conservation. “It will enable safer wildlife movement across critical habitats while improving connectivity for residents and visitors. Development and conservation must move together,” Sarma said.The CM underlined Assam’s tourism vision rests on three pillars — protecting nature, creating livelihoods, and building destinations that the world aspires to experience.The park officially closed its gates on May 29, marking the end of the current tourism season as authorities prepare for the onset of the monsoon. The annual closure is a routine measure to safeguard both visitors and wildlife during the heavy rains, when flooding and breeding cycles make the park particularly sensitive. The park will reopen once the monsoon subsides, typically in Nov.
