Patna: The Number of Tourists visiting Bihar has doubled between 2007 and 2012, says sources in Deptt in Tourism, Bihar Government. As per the latest reports, while close to 1 Crore (10 Million) Tourists visited Bihar in 2007, the number doubled to 2 Crores  in 2012.
In 2013, the Tourist Influx in Bihar  is expected to reach close to 1.25 Crores, thanks to various campaigns started by Bihar Government. Between January-August 2013,  close to 69 Crores tourists had visited Bihar. The upcoming Rajgir Mahotsav expects a further spike in the number of tourists.
Read More: Discover Bihar – The Campaign luring Tourists Worldwide
The number is much impressive in terms of Foreign Tourists. Bihar stands at 7th position in terms of Foreign Tourist Inflow, ahead of tourist hotspots like Kerala and Goa. In 2012, it received 1.2 Million foreign tourists mostly  from Buddhists Countries like Japan, Mynamar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, China etc.
The State is blessed with a rich and vibrant history and heritage – not only does Bihar boast of one of the oldest institution of learning in the world in Nalanda, it also is a major centre for the development of the Buddhist philosophy, making Bihar a global hotspot for tourism.
The Government has further categorized Tourist spots under Ram, Sikh, Sufi, Buddha and Jain Circuits making it easy for tourists to plan their itinerary in Bihar.
Read More: Bihar gets a record 1 Million Foreign Tourists in 2012
The State government has accorded industry status to tourism to attract private investment. Investments in Tourism sector are eligible for subsidies and tax incentives.
Effective targeting of the 500-700 million strong Buddhist population in countries such as China, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and other countries has the potential to take Bihar’s economy to the next level.
BSTDC, the figurehead of Tourism in Bihar has implemented several schemes to boost tourism in the state. In Rajgir it offers, horse driven royal chariots to the tourists.  These Victorian-style vehicles would help tourists cover the 7km distance from the ropeway at Rajgir to Ghorakatora Lake. As this area has been declared an ecological spot, motorised vehicles are not allowed.
Bihar and UP, along with the Govt. of India, are entering into a dialogue with International Finance Corporation (IFC) to promote their Buddhist heritage in South East Asian countries.
Some of the major destinations promoted by Bihar include Bodhgaya (Buddha’s enlightenment sites), Gaya (final salvation point for the Hindus), Nalanda (ruins of world’s first university for higher education), Pawapur (Lord Mahavir’s Nirvana site), Rajgir (kingdom of Magadh), Vaishali (site for last sermon delivery by Lord Buddha), Vikramsila (centre for Tantric Buddhishm) and Kesariya (where Budha delivered his famous Kalama Sutta).