India’s Overlooked Strategic Lever- Tourism

Not that long ago, I spoke about something we don’t frame often enough. Despite India’s incredible tourism assets, we’re a net importer of tourism. Indians are traveling abroad more than ever before, and spending significantly more on international trips. Meanwhile, tourism receipts from international visitors to India have either stagnated or even declined on occasion. Siddhartha Jain recently sent me the newspaper article above and reminded me of my submission to our policy group around the Ideas Shala bonfire a couple of months ago.

Inbound arrivals get discussed endlessly and are lamented about. Official narratives swing between denial and muted acknowledgement, especially when WEF TDDI rankings come out. But tourism is seldom discussed as part of balance-of-payments thinking or positioned within mainstream GDP strategy & other major growth levers.

It’s encouraging that I’m no longer alone in making the case for tourism as a serious instrument of economic and geopolitical strategy. Leaders like #Dr.S.Jaishankar and Mr. Amitabh Kant are rightly advancing this conversation- but the question remains:

Can India switch tourism on?

Realistically, achieving global benchmarks will take decades. But there are smart, actionable steps we can take right now to create momentum and capture near-term gains and perhaps even tide over these absurd trade wars.

The no-brainers:

1. Smarter visas: With our digital edge we can make visitor entry seamless without compromising security. Enough has been spoken about it already.

2. Marketing that speaks traveller, not government: Show destinations, not government meetings or schemes on our social media. Use storytelling over jargon. (Now is a good time to watch Beautiful Destinations present Rajasthan Tourism on its channels). And let’s be sincere and authentic: India does fall short on many things, but we are warm and friendly.

3. Upgrade visitor experience. Invest in frontline skilling (guides, hospitality, digital, security). Airports and first impressions matter- Bangalore airport and a few others prove India is capable; we just need consistency elsewhere.

My proposal:

4. Hub-and-Spoke Strategy. Not every destination is ready, and that’s fine. Let’s present our best foot forward at this moment with established and mature destinations in India by channeling tourists through hubs and spokes while new destinations are getting prepared under #SwadeshDarshan and similar destination development investments.

• Hub = international airports

• Spokes = secondary destinations linked to day trips, weekend getaways, or one signature long trip

Corridors like Bangalore–Mysore–Coorg, Chennai–Pondicherry–Mahabalipuram, Delhi–Jaipur–Shekhawati, the Kerala circuit, Guwahati–Brahmaputra River cruises, Goa-Hampi, Indore-Mandu-Maheshwar and Nagpur–MP/Maharashtra forests are examples that could work. This requires curated signature experiences with quality-driven partners, enhanced connectivity through upgraded roads, improved wayside amenities, and robust tourist infrastructure, alongside effective marketing that emphasizes consistency, highlights quality partners, and provides clear itineraries and maps on easily accessible websites.

Important: Most of our destination development and infrastructure currently focuses on domestic travelers, which often gears towards mass tourism. While this approach works in some places, it shouldn’t be applied everywhere. Some destinations demand quality over quantity, a different mindset for sustainable growth and global appeal. The decisionmakers must identify these destinations and approach their activation differently.

And here’s my submission: by re-calibrating focus towards international tourism rather than primarily domestic, we can better balance growth with the conservation of sensitive ecological and heritage sites. In the face of climate upheaval, these vulnerable areas need more consideration, something mass domestic tourism overlooks.

India, more than most places, is deeply influenced by social media personalities and trends. This assertion isn’t data-backed, but one that comes from being Indian. This influence can drive massive tourist numbers to sites overnight, almost always without planning or preparation. I have come across far too many of these examples during my projects to not be concerned. The authorities and decision makers must wield their instruments wisely by actively regulating which destinations need to welcome large crowds and which require protection from mass tourism to safeguard fragile environments and heritage.

5. Fix the structural bottlenecks. Procurement in tourism in India still runs on dated approaches. We need agility, innovation, and a first-principles approach in public projects. India’s private sector does tourism really well, be it legacy hospitality brands or new age entrepreneurs bringing global best practices back home. True public private partnerships could be forged if the government engages external expertise via outcome-focused, time-bound contracts, and encourages lateral entry of specialized talent into government roles. Not the first time it’ll be done.

The Long Game

India doesn’t need to “build” tourism, we need to unlock it. While immediate actions might help weather out the trade wars if done right, India must also commit to long-term strategies focused on sustainable and responsible tourism development, including environmental conservation, community-centric destination management, capacity building, and infrastructure modernization. The opportunity is immediate. Done right, India could shift from being a net importer of tourism to one of the world’s most compelling destinations.

#Tourism #India #Trade #Policy #Infrastructure