Blast in Delhi may hit tourism briefly as US, UK issue advisories

US, UK issue travel advisories as peak season kicks off

The Indian tourism and travel sector may experience an immediate yet short-term impact from Monday evening’s blast near the Red Fort in the national capital, as the US and the UK have issued advisories urging caution.

 

Industry insiders said that immediate postponements and cancellations can be expected due to security concerns, which will directly hit India's travel and tourism market when its annual peak season is just kicking off. However, they allayed fears of medium term, long term impact. This is the time when inbound tourism starts picking up in the country, and goes on till the months of January and February.

   

How are travel advisories affecting the tourism outlook? 

“Tourists from long-haul markets such as the US, UK, and Western Europe are especially sensitive to such news, and short-term cancellations or postponements of planned trips can be expected,” said Ravi Gosain, president, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO).

 

The blast, in a moving car, killed 13 people and critically injured many more.

 

The American Embassy in New Delhi warned nationals to remain cautious. “While the cause of the explosion is still unknown, the Government of India has placed several states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, on high alert,” the advisory issued on Tuesday read.

 

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) also advised citizens to avoid travel to areas within 10 km of the India–Pakistan border and to refrain from visiting Jammu and Kashmir except for air travel to Jammu, citing security concerns.

 

What is the immediate impact on the hospitality sector? 

At Sarovar Hotels, bookings have seen a marginal decline.

 

“The incident in Delhi is deeply unfortunate. From a business standpoint, we have noticed a short-term softening in inbound bookings, particularly from long-haul markets that are more sensitive to security advisories. The recent US advisory urging increased caution is understandable, yet it underscores the importance of balanced communication and on-ground reassurance to travellers,” a company spokesperson said.

 

For luxury villa rental firm StayVista, occupancies in Delhi-NCR remained high. “Our occupancies remain well above 90 per cent, signalling continued normalcy. Hopefully, Monday’s incident will be seen as a one-off and won’t impact travel in the medium and long term,” said Amit Damani, co-founder.

 

“Domestic travel, too, is quick to bounce back as we’ve seen before. Delhi remains important as both a destination and a transit hub, and we can foresee only a short-term impact, if any,” he added.

 

Will tourism sentiment recover soon? 

Some industry executives remain optimistic that the incident will not dent overall travel sentiment.

 

“While the incident does shake us all, I think it will be seen as a single, standalone one and should not have much of an impact, especially on foreign tourist arrivals as most of these are pre-planned,” said Rajiv Mehra, general secretary, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH).

 

He added that the situation underscores the need for heightened security measures to reassure tourists.

 

Industry players emphasised the importance of visible safety measures and coordinated communication between hospitality bodies and government agencies.

 

“What’s critical now is reinforcing trust — through visible safety measures, proactive destination marketing, and close coordination between hospitality players and tourism bodies,” the Sarovar spokesperson said.

 

IATO’s Gosain added that if no further incidents occur and security communication remains strong, inbound tourism sentiment could recover within a few months.