India not shining enough for int’l tourists

By Sohail Khan 7 September 2026, 12:36 am

Benchmarks
Nifty23,897.7024.25

Precious Metal
Gold (MCX) (Rs/10g.)152,815.00-2960.0

Enter search text:

Business News›Industry›Services›Travel›India not shining enough for international tourists, arrivals likely to stay flat this year

Read Today's Paper

India not shining enough for international tourists, arrivals likely to stay flat this year
Synopsis

India's foreign tourist arrivals are projected to plateau this year, influenced by rising oil prices from ongoing global conflicts that have increased travel costs for many. Industry professionals urge the need for renewed marketing initiatives abroad, while the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality forecasts only 8-9 million foreign visitors by 2026, still falling short of pre-Covid levels, indicating a persistent challenge for India's tourism sector.

The Federation of Associationsin Indian Tourism and Hospitality(FAITH) estimates 8-9 millionforeign tourists will visit India in2026.

New Delhi: Foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India this year are expected to be flat at most compared with last year, amid global conflicts that have driven up oil prices and made travel more expensive, according to industry insiders. They also demanded the revival of marketing and promotional activities abroad to attract tourists.

The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) estimates 8-9 million foreign tourists will visit India in 2026. As per the Ministry of Tourism's provisional estimates, 9.15 million foreign tourists arrived in India in calendar year 2025, falling 8.1% from the prior year and as much as 16.3% from pre-Covid 2019.

This year in April, the first month of the fiscal year, India received about 534,000 foreign tourists, a 31% drop from April 2019 and 14.3% lower compared with a year earlier.

Aashish Gupta, consulting chief executive of FAITH, cited the war in Iran and Ukraine, which have pushed up fuel prices, and consequently international air tickets prices, as well as the absence of global brand marketing of India for the weak estimates.

The buzz is "exceptionally weak", said Rajeev Kohli, joint managing director of Creative Travel, which specialises in inbound travel.

"There is very insignificant to non-existent interest in the destination, as stated by foreign travel agents and the tour operator community. Eight-nine million may be the case, but it's most certainly not a point to rejoice about, given that the destination is still below our pre-Covid numbers," he said. "If we look at real tourist arrivals, we are way off from being a respectable destination by any standards. The complete lack of any marketing or promotions for the last several years has significantly impacted the desirability of the destination."

Cosmos Travels MD Sunil Mishra, however, said he was optimistic that the coming tourist season would be better than last year.

"My expectation is a growth of around 10-15% in inbound tourism compared with the same season last year, provided conditions remain conducive to travel," he said. "Approximately 20% of inbound business is stuck in China because of visa issues. We have high hopes that this issue should be resolved after the BRICS summit is over."

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13.

In an interview with ET in June, FAITH chairman and Indian Hotels Company CEO Puneet Chhatwal said while travel and tourism have been witnessing "buoyancy" in demand and domestic travel remained "robust" despite ongoing geopolitical conflicts, the largest opportunity for India was attracting its fair share of foreign tourists. India must ramp up international marketing and promotions to realise its tourism potential, he stated.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The .)

…moreless

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

Read More News on
foreign tourist arrivals in IndiaIndia tourism statistics 2025FAITH tourism marketingimpact of global conflicts on tourisminbound travel trends 2026BRICS summit tourism impactIndia tourist destinationsindian hotels company

(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The .)

…moreless

Enter search text:

Continue reading with one of these options:
Limited Access
Free
Login to get access to some exclusive stories

& personalised newsletters
Login Now

Unlimited Access
Starting @ Rs120/month
Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &

in-depth stock reports
Subscribe Now

Unlock Access to All Exclusives with ETPrime FREE TRIAL

15 Days Free: Unlock All ETPrime Exclusives, Market Tools & ePapers

Trial offer expiring in00 : 05 : 00

I'd rather pay ₹2599 now

Uh-oh! This is an exclusive story available for selected readers only.

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

Unlock ETPrime's Exclusive Stories Today!

Subscribe to gain powerful insights on business, stock market and industry trends.

Big Price Drop! Flat 40% Off

Student Only Offer

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now
Already a Member? Sign In now

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Special Offer

Get flat 40% off on ETPrime

Avail Offer
Avail Offer

Claim NowAlready a Member? Sign In now

Need Assistance?

Connect with an ETPrime expert for personalized support and guidance

+91 9484700004

' + h3 + '

' + h4 + '

' + listing + '

What’s Included with

ETPrime Membership

1Exclusive Insights That Matter

Uncover the truth with our investigative stories

Make strategic moves using the real-world case studies

Read industry-specific stories to identify emerging trends

Spot opportunities with in-depth insights that matter

Trump temper on H-1B visas is forcing Indians to do these things to stay put in US

What Adani’s US indictment means for India Inc’s overseas fundraising
Why veterans like Reliance, L&T are on acquisition spree? Aswath Damodaran has an answer.

Will China’s dollar bond sale in Saudi Arabia trump the US in financial world?
Huawei launches its own OS to compete with Google and Apple. But can it win beyond China?

The problem with lab grown diamonds
Why a falling rupee is a better option for the economy

A list of top 20 momentum stocks that have delivered massive returns in one year