India’s inbound tourism
India’s tourism industry is gradually regaining its old pace after the pandemic. According to the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), the number of foreign tourists coming to India in this year’s peak tourist season is expected to increase by 10-15% compared to last year. Due to this, the country’s inbound tourism (tourism coming from abroad) seems to be coming close to its pre-Covid level again.
IATO President Ravi Gosain says that this year tourism companies are getting tremendous response from markets like America, Europe, Middle East and South-East Asia. He said, ‘Most of our member operators are registering 10 to 15 percent more bookings than last year. This shows that the interest of foreign travelers in India is continuously increasing.
Recovery expected to reach pre-pandemic levels
Gosain further said that if this pace continues, then by the beginning of 2026, the number of foreign tourists in India can reach the pre-pandemic level i.e. the figures of 2019. Early estimates suggest that around 10 to 10.5 million visitors may come to India in 2025, compared to 10.9 million in 2019.
According to Tourism Ministry data, 9.95 million foreign tourists came to India last year, which was about 4.5% more than 9.52 million in 2023. This is a sign of a continued recovery, although it has yet to fully reach 2019 levels.
Confidence increased due to forward booking and long stay
Ravi Gosain told that another interesting trend has emerged from the initial bookings. Now travelers are preferring to stay longer, spend more and are attracted towards India’s experience-based and sustainable tourism. He said that the choice of travelers has now moved beyond the traditional Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur). Tourists are now turning towards Northeast, South India and Himalayan states, where they get the best mix of nature, culture and adventure.