Jaipur elephant safari ridership falls by 70% in seven years, operators sound alarm

The popularity of elephant safaris at the historic Amer Fort here has declined sharply, with the number of tourists opting for elephant rides falling by around 70 per cent in seven years, according to official records.

As many as 1,64,608 tourists opted for elephant safaris in 2018-19, but the numbers fell to 48,474 in 2025-26, a decline of more than one lakh visitors.

The data from the fort administration showed that 1,08,378 tourists took elephant rides in 2019-20. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number fell to 2,922 in 2020-21.

The figure rose to 9,560 in 2021-22, 54,514 in 2022-23, 79,090 in 2023-24 and 67,018 in 2024-25 before declining again to 48,474 in 2025-26.

The figures assume significance ahead of World Elephant Day, observed on August 12 to raise awareness about elephant conservation and welfare.

According to tourism industry stakeholders, the decline in elephant safari numbers is attributed to a fall in foreign tourist arrivals and to changing visitor preferences.

Growing awareness about animal welfare, particularly among international tourists, has led many visitors to prefer jeep safaris and other tourism activities over animal-based experiences, they said.

Tourism expert Mahesh Sharma said international campaigns for animal welfare had also affected demand for elephant safaris.

"Many international tour operators and travel companies have removed elephant rides from their tour packages as part of their animal welfare policies. This has particularly affected demand among foreign tourists," he said.

Sharma said the growing number of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and other wildlife tourism destinations had also provided tourists with more options.

Another tourism expert, Ashok Chaudhary, said international campaigns on animal welfare had prompted several foreign tourists to avoid elephant rides.

"Many tour operators are also no longer giving elephant safaris the same priority in their packages," he said.

Ballu Khan, president of the Hathi Gaon Development Committee, said the decline in foreign tourists had resulted in fewer elephant rides at Amber Fort.

He said the daily expenditure on an elephant's diet is around Rs 4,000, suggesting that the continuous decline in ridership could impact their upkeep.