International visitor spending in India in 2025 expected to reach INR 3.2 trillion WTTC

New Delhi, Jun 3 (PTI) India is "well-placed" to become one of the world's most dynamic tourism economies with its mix of heritage, natural beauty and modern innovation, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said on Tuesday and projected that international visitor spending in the country in 2025 is expected to reach Rs 3.2 trillion.
    The London-based global tourism body also called for continued investment and targeted policy support by the government to maintain the momentum.
    The figures were shared by WTTC president and CEO Julia Simpson during a media interaction in New Delhi.
    Simpson underlined the recovery made in the Indian tourism sector in the last few years post-Covid pandemic, and asserted that the "future does look very bright".
    She also shared some of the projected figures for the Indian tourism sector for 2025 and the 10-year forecast for 2035 in a presentation.
    Simpson termed 2024 a "truly incredible year" for travel and tourism in India, and said domestic travel spending was crucial in what was a post pandemic recovery.
    "I know some of you want to talk to me about domestic travel. I actually think it's a very significant and key cornerstone of the travel and tourism economy here in India, international travel has now returned with unprecedented vigour, surpassing all previous records," she added.
    According to the data sheet which also carries corresponding figures in USD, in 2024, international visitor spending in India reached a record Rs 3.1 trillion (USD 36.8 billion), nine per cent above the previous peak of 2019.
     "The revival of international tourism is propelling travel, tourism into a new era of growth in India," she said.
     Simpson said India's travel and tourism sector is experiencing unprecedented growth, with international visitor numbers now at record highs after a period of strong domestic reliance.
     "We strongly support the government's plans to simplify the e-visa process. While visa-on-arrival and e-visa systems are in place, reciprocal policies and long delays for key markets like the US, where appointments are reportedly unavailable until 2026, continue to hinder tourists. Making it easier to visit India is one of the fastest ways to unlock further international arrivals and spending," she was quoted as saying in a statement issues later by WTTC.
     Domestic travel remained the vital force with spending soaring to INR 15.5 trillion (USD 185.6 billion), 22 per cent above 2019 levels. And the spending from both domestic and international travellers led to another record, with travel and tourism's contribution to the Indian economy reaching almost Rs 21 trillion, which is 6.6 per cent of the national GDP, the she said during the interaction.
     In 2025, international visitor spending in India is expected to reach Rs 3.2 trillion (USD 38.8 billion), while in 2035, the figure is expected to rise to Rs 4.6 trillion (USD 55.5 billion), according the data shared by the WTTC.
     "Now, as we know, travel and tourism is also a very significant employer in India, and last year, we saw another record broken with jobs in the sector, reaching an all time high of more than 46 million jobs created by our sector across India, and that represents over nine per cent of total employment in this country," she said.
     The WTTC has forecast the employment figures for 2025 and 2035 at 48.2 million jobs and 63.9 million jobs respectively.
     The UK-based tourism body in a statement said, "with a young, educated population facing rapid automation through AI, the sector remains a critical source of employment and opportunity".
     Strengthening infrastructure, including high-speed rail and smart mobility solutions, will be essential to reach the sector's true potential and raise its GDP contribution toward 10-11 per cent, it said.
     "India is well-placed to become one of the world's most dynamic tourism economies, with its dynamic mix of heritage, natural beauty, and modern innovation. This includes unlocking the potential of small and medium-sized enterprises which form the backbone of the sector and drive innovation across communities and regions," the WTTC said.
     It called on the government to match the sector's resilience and ambition with "clear, consistent policy support".
     The WTTC is scheduled to host its summit in Rome in September, and after that Saudi Arabia will host TOURISE Summit in Riyadh from November 11 to 13.
     On May 22, Saudi Arabia had unveiled the global platform which seeks to create a "powerful partnership" between public and private sectors and chart a future roadmap for tourism.
     Simpson sits on the powerful advisory board of this new platform and had attended the unveiling ceremony.
     Asked if Indians stakeholders should join this platform, she said, "I would definitely want to see India taking part in both the summits."

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)