For a nation steeped in the ancient culture of hospitality enshrined in the philosophy of Atithi Devo Bhava, modern India has yet to fully harness the vast potential of its tourism industry.
For millennia, visitors of every kind were attracted to the civilisational state—that is India. Scholars, pilgrims, traders and, of course, invaders dreamed of getting here. Centuries of colonial rule, followed by decades of sickly economic performance, had devastated the country and reduced its allure. This was compounded by poor infrastructure and public hygiene. All this led to relatively tiny numbers of both domestic and foreign tourist footfalls. Not only did countries like Spain and France vastly outshine India, but so did far smaller destinations.
A lot has changed, especially in recent years. India’s economy has grown to become the fifth largest in the world, while for several years now the GDP growth rate has continued to be the highest among all large economies. In tandem, there has been a big surge in infrastructure development. This is especially visible in the tourism sector. Like the quality and quantity of new airports, modern trains, hotels of all classes, homestays and public transport.
One underrated development has been Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship initiative on public cleanliness and hygiene—the Swachh Bharat Mission. Undoing centuries of cynicism and bad habits in a few short years is challenging, to say the least, but noticeable progress has been made, which is acknowledged by experts.
The relentless pursuit of a clean India is also accompanied by an array of other initiatives aimed at promoting tourism. From the revamped Incredible India campaign 2.0 in 2018 to launching the Yashobhoomi and Bharat Mandapam mega convention centres in 2023 to attract the lucrative conference market, boosting tourism is clearly a priority. In addition there are prime minister’s regular exhortations to the public at large, as well as roping in social media influencers to add heft to the effort.
The economic logic for this is compelling. Its potential to create jobs is second to no other commercial activity. By 2023, tourism accounted for 76 million jobs in India, up from 69 million nine years earlier. It is estimated that tourism can create a further six million new jobs by 2034. According to a major hotel industry entrepreneur, a robust tourism sector could address half of India’s employment needs.
Nevertheless, while a lot of progress has been made, much remains to be done. For instance, though the number of foreign visitors has gradually recovered from the abrupt collapse during the pandemic, it still remains below the pre-pandemic peak.
But there is a silver lining, with tourism’s contribution to India’s GDP having grown from 5.9 per cent in 2019 to 6.4 per cent in 2024, boosted by a sharp uptick in domestic travel.
Of course, foreign tourists have options, as do the rapidly growing number of Indians travelling abroad. And the competition for attracting them is getting ever more fierce. Countries like Vietnam and Malaysia are rolling out the red carpet, including easing visa regulations. But, in making it easy for tourists to visit, Singapore has set the bar high, with passport-free immigration clearance at the airport taking, on average, only 10 seconds per visitor.
India, too, is not short on ambition, and has rolled out many tourist friendly steps, including far more courteous Customs and Immigration officers than in earlier years. The national target of growing inbound tourist footfalls tenfold by 2047 is truly audacious. It will take sustained commitment, but is a goal worth striving for.
Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda is National Vice President of the BJP and is an MP in the Lok Sabha.