

Domestic footfalls lighting up India's hotels
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.In hotels across India, not much looks different at the first look. The check-ins are the same, the wedding crowds have not gone away and the weekend rush in Goa or Jaipur continues.
But beneath that familiar rhythm, the industry is quietly shifting—towards the domestic traveller.India’s inbound tourism has now inched past its pre-pandemic lows, but the growth has been uneven. Foreign tourist arrivals were at 20.57 million in 2024, about 15% higher than the pre-covid levels.
But these soon eased off to a provisional 20.09 million in 2025, down 2.4%.And now, even as global travel grapples with the fallout of the West Asia war, India’s hospitality industry has entered the year on a firm footing, with demand anchored in local travel.Growth is being absorbed largely by cities, extending the strong momentum seen in 2025. Investment activity in hotels rose to about $380 million, steadily up from $320 million in the previous year more than double the $158 million seen in 2016.According to a new report, ‘HVS Anarock India Hospitality Industry Overview 2025’, shared exclusively with Mint, the momentum in hotel investment is expected to continue.
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