India to be at the forefront of global tourism by 2023
As world tourism returned to pre-COVID levels, the market saw some surprises, with new destinations thriving like some of the world’s best.
India, one of these emerging regions, has spearheaded several campaigns that have propelled it to one of its strongest years for tourism to date.
And cheap travel opportunities are some of the most attractive parts of traveling to India.
India holds the prestigious title of G20 chairmanship in 2023, with the annual meeting scheduled for September.
In anticipation of the grand event, India has launched plans to boost inbound tourism beyond previous numbers.
Speaking at the launch event on January 31, Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy explained that their aim is to market India as a 365-day destination and highlight the diversity of attractions in the country.
“This will provide impetus for an early post-pandemic recovery in India’s inbound tourism and position India as Asia’s top travel destination,” the statement read.
The two-hand logo represents the Namaste greeting, and each hand is made up of several smaller icons associated with the country’s diversity, from natural beauty to religion, culture and history.
Thomas Cook India Ltd. chairman and managing director Madhavan Menon agreed that the summit’s forecast for India looks favorable.
“India’s tourism recovery stands out globally on an economic level, and that’s evident in our industry as well. People will continue to take vacations,” he said.
“However, domestic demand in India is huge, especially in places like Goa, Rajasthan and Kashmir. Even city hotel prices are high, and domestic tourism and business-related demand will remain high.”
In addition, India will host the country’s first Global Tourism Investor Summit during its G20 presidency.
“Under the Indian presidency of the G20, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, will host the country’s first Global Tourism Summit in New Delhi from April 10-12, 2023, to which all G20 member countries will be invited. CII is the event’s industry partners,” a statement from India’s tourism ministry read.
The ministry aims to create more than 140 million jobs through the sector by 2030 and they will focus on cruise tourism, ecotourism and adventure tourism.
Throughout 2023, more than 200 sessions will be held at 55 locations ahead of the summit in New Delhi on September 9-10.
Not only will India dominate inbound tourism, but millions of Indians have their sights set on traveling abroad in 2023.
Chinese tourists make up the bulk of most Asian destinations, but citizens are hesitant to travel as reopenings are delayed.
Economies that depend on tourism have focused on India to attract more Indian tourists this year.
Indians can travel visa-free to more than 60 countries, and more and more are adding their names to the list, Kazakhstan and Malaysia being the latest.
Nangia Andersen, one of India’s leading business consultants, estimates it will be worth more than $42 billion by 2024.
Thailand’s inbound tourism sector includes nearly 30 percent of Chinese tourists, but this has dropped below 5 percent.
Isada Saovaros, director of the Mumbai office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said that given the large number of direct flights between the two countries, they hope India can bridge the gap.
“Thailand expects to have 1 million arrivals from India by the end of this year. India may soon jump from the second largest source market to the number one,” he explained.
India’s demographics have also changed and now consist mostly of Gen Z and millennials, a valuable target market eager for travel and disposable income.
Arshdeep Anand, Director of Holiday Moods Adventures concluded: “Indians are big spenders and destinations are waking up to this.”
India’s Destination of the Year kicks off on February 1, with more than 50 top tourist destinations across the country getting a facelift with new allotments.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman explained, “Tourism has been surging over the past few years, mainly because of COVID-19, and it is fitting that now more than ever it will recover.”
The government has surpassed any previous spending on the rail sector, allocating $29 billion to revitalize the system and improve domestic travel.
Fifty airports and landing areas will also be vastly improved to help tourists travel between more locations cheaper and easier.
There are also several environmental projects in the pipeline, including the replanting of mangroves to promote sustainable tourism.
Posted on: Sunday, February 19, 2023 at 10:54 am IST