Higher spending but fewer visitors: India must fix its tourism strategy

India ranks 39th on the World Economic Forum's 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index, performing strongly on natural and cultural resources

Tourists in India from abroad are growing in number, but recovery from the fall after the pandemic is still not complete. The recent data from the Ministry of Tourism showed that arrivals reached 9.95 million last year, still below the 2019 peak of 10.93 million. The 2025 season has opened on a softer note: 5.6 million as of August — below the 6.3 million recorded in the same period last year.  Several challenges could be affecting the recovery, like poor air quality in big cities such as Delhi, and periodic travel advisories from key markets. Further, the distribution