The iconic Mysuru Palace drew 39.35 lakh visitors between April 2024 and March 2025, marking the second-highest footfall in the past decade. Interestingly, this surge comes despite a significant ticket price hike from ₹100 to ₹1000 for foreign tourists in November 2024. Notably, 44,788 international visitors explored the palace—the highest foreign footfall since the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.
In comparison, the previous fiscal year (2023–24) saw 40.56 lakh guests, including 34,604 foreigners, which was the highest overall visitor count in the last ten years.
According to Deputy Director T.S. Subramanya, the Mysuru Palace Board is planning innovations to further boost foreign tourist numbers. These include an upgraded sound and light show by Dasara, special queues for international tourists, senior citizens, and the differently abled, and Sunday cultural events previously limited to festivals.
Upcoming curated guided tours with regal themes like ‘Maharaja’ and ‘Yuvarani’ packages, featuring traditional welcomes by folk performers, are also in the pipeline. Digital promotion targeting global audiences via social media campaigns is being strengthened.
Enhancements like online ticketing, increased tour guides (from 12 to 18), and more toilets and drinking water facilities have made visits smoother. The Palace now hosts daily illumination and multilingual light shows, with a flower show in December being a major draw.
However, tourism expert M. Ravi warns that foreign footfall in Karnataka is declining due to rising travel costs, expensive stays, and poor connectivity and infrastructure. He calls for strategic global marketing, tourism ambassadors, and passionate leadership to revive the sector.
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