TravTalk India Online Magazine
Is the Indian inbound tourist market slowing down? Experts share a mixed view on this. While some agree to the point of sluggishness in the inbound travel, others say its showed signs of revival in 2023, especially with the ‘Visit India Year 2023’ initiative aimed at promoting India as a year-round destination, along with the G20 Presidency.
Inder Raj Ahluwalia
Jyoti Mayal, President, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) & Chairperson, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), feels the Indian inbound tourist market is not really slowing down. It showed signs of revival in 2023, especially with the ‘Visit India Year 2023’ initiative aimed at promoting India as a year-round destination, along with the G20 Presidency. “We need extensive marketing to further accelerate growth, place emphasis on aggressive global promotion of ‘Incredible India’, leverage digital platforms for ease of travel, and highlight India’s cultural richness and diverse experiences. Additionally, focus should be on niche tourism areas like adventure, wellness, and sustainable tourism that cater to evolving traveller preferences. Ensuring safety, particularly for women travellers, and enhancing visitors’ experience through infrastructure improvements are pivotal steps,” she said.
At the Arabian Travel Market 2024, TAAI partnered with the Ministry of Tourism to celebrate the ‘India B2B Networking Evening’, which connected inbound Indian agents with GCC countries to partner and synergise. A rethink to further develop inbound tourism in tune with existing industry trends can generate future growth.
Rajiv Mehra, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), feels inbound travel to India has been slow to recover. While the country is seeing an increase in inbound travel, the numbers still lag behind 2019 numbers. However, the industry is optimistic of growing substantially and crossing this level in 2024 or early 2025.
“The forecast is encouraging and aligns with India’s ongoing initiatives. We need to have a stronger presence in key inbound markets, including Europe, the UK, and the Middle East, coupled with strong marketing and promotion by our nodal Ministry,” he said. “Participation in international travel marts is crucial, and should include not just the major events, but also lesser known ones that have huge potential for India,”
he added.
Ravi Gosain, Vice President, IATO, says, “We are at a stage where we need to re-energise ourselves. Inbound tourist traffic to India is at a crucial stage where it needs a stronger push to compete globally with other destinations. We have to become more focused and aggressive. We have a great culture, traditions, historical assets, wonderful cuisine and now state-of-the-art world-class infrastructure in place, but in the present, fast-changing environment, all this needs to be known to the world. So, there is a lot to be done at government level to make our product’s quality constantly visible on online, offline and social media platforms. PR-building campaigns and regular communication channels are required on a regular basis.”
Lajpat Rai, Chairman and Managing Director, Lotus Trans Travels, feels the first thing the Indian inbound tourist industry has to do is to accurately assess the existing situation. “Where exactly are we? And where are we headed? In my opinion government and the various tourism associations and other related bodies should immediately start additional promotion campaigns in both the existing and upcoming, promising markets. Government and tourism industry colleagues should bond together more than ever before, and participate in roadshows, tourism fairs, and exhibitions.
