NEW DELHI: “Getting sick” and “safety & security” are the top “headaches” for foreigners planning a trip to India (see box). And foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) to India are expected to climb back to pre-Covid 2019 levels only by the end of CY 2025. These are among the key findings of a joint report released by online travel biggie booking.com in partnership with Accenture here on Wednesday.
Titled “
How India Travels 2024 — The Inbound Edit
,” the report says India “has caught the attention of global travellers” with its diverse offerings. The top 10 countries with the maximum searches for travel to India has some new entrants Hong Kong SAR (part of China), Australia, Italy and Netherlands. This list is topped by the US, where the searches are yet to return to 2019 levels, the report says.
India has seen domestic and outbound travel breach pre-Covid numbers but inbound (FTAs) are yet to catch up. Union tourism ministry data shows over 1.5 crore Indians travelled abroad in Jan-June 2024, 12% more than the 1.3 crore who did so in same period 2019. FTAs in the first six months of this calendar year stood at 47.8 lakh, 10% less than the almost 53 lakh in same period 2019. This has been worrying the travel industry and they have been requesting Govt to promote the country as a destination in key foreign markets through a campaign like Incredible India and other means.
While saying India has a great potential, the report says: “In addition to understanding (travellers’) preferences), the country would benefit from strategic programmes (which include adequate funding) to drive the growth of tourism industry. For example, Vietnam’s tourism development strategy 2030 aims to attract 3.5 crore crore international visitors through digital marketing and creative content. Japan has developed a three-year tourism plan for 2023-2025 which focuses on high value travel… Thailand’s ‘amazing Thailand grand tourism year 2025’ is promoting to diverse markets and sustainability-centric tourism aiming to increase tourism revenue by 7.5%,” the report says.
Santosh Kumar, booking.com’s country head (Indian subcontinent & Indonesia), said: “(this) report highlights the growing appeal of India as a global destination, with a surge in foreign tourist arrivals and a strong preference for unique experiences. This is also reflected in India’s 39th rank on the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Travel & Tourism Development Index, up from 54th in 2021. As travellers seek authentic connections and immersive journeys, India’s ability to offer a diverse range of experiences, from bustling cities to serene landscapes, is proving to be a major draw.”
Emphasising just how important tourism is for job creation, it adds: “In 2023, the travel and tourism sector accounted for about 6.5% of overall GDP (at) $231.6 billion, 10% higher than the share in 2019. This industry now expects this share to reach $512 billion by 2028…. by 2023, tourism sector is projected to create 5.8 crore new jobs (in India).”
The most searched locations in India for potential travellers from abroad as per the report include Hampi, Leh, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Rishikesh, Khajuraho, Amritsar, Jodhpur, Varanasi, Jaipur, Pushkar and Darjeeling.
For people planning trips to India, “biggest planning headaches?”
Getting sick: 32%
Safety & security: 27%
Cultural differences: 13%
Langauge barriers: 12%
Accommodation: 8%
Transportation: 6%
Unfamiliar/limited food options: 2%
(Source:
How India Travels 2024 — The Inbound Edit)
