ET WLF 2024: Rich history, culture can help India win spot among top 10 tourist destinations
«This is the first time independent India has seen such impetus or focus on developing infrastructure, both from the government and the private sector, such as road network, improvement of stations, world class airports, sports stadiums, convention centers,» said Mandeep Lamba, president and CEO, South Asia, HVS Anarock, while moderating the session.
Tourism in India grew 300% YoY in 2023, said MakeMyTrip executive officer Rajesh Magow. «We have to create awareness and change the perception of the country, because people (tourists) also worry about security and safety.» Tourism in India is only at 85% of what it was in 2019 before the Covid pandemic hit, he said.
India currently gets about 9.8 million overseas visitors, compared to over 11 million before the pandemic, he added. That number also includes those who aren't tourists, said Puneet Chhatwal, managing director and CEO, The Indian Hotel Co. Ltd (IHCL). «At least half of them are people coming here for business, whether they get counted as delegates of G20 or for other business because a lot of international companies have offices in India,» he said.
The US remains the largest source of tourists, followed by the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France and Germany. They tend to spend the most on jewellery and apparel, according to payment company Visa, which has anonymised access to the payment footprint of foreign travellers.
«With health and wellness tourism becoming popular among international tourists, leveraging the Ayush initiative can be a big
