For a country that proudly calls itself “incredible”, there is an uncomfortable truth that the Indian travel and hospitality industry can no longer afford to ignore: Why has inbound tourism slipped down the national priority list?The irony is impossible to brush under the carpet. India is home to the Himalayas, a 7,500-km coastline, over 40 UNESCO World Heritage sites, the birthplace of yoga and Ayurveda, dense forests teeming with wildlife, centuries-old spiritual traditions, magnificent palaces converted into luxury hotels, and perhaps the world’s most diverse culinary landscape. Yet, despite possessing one of the richest tourism portfolios, India welcomed just 9.95 million foreign tourists in 2025.AdvertisementAlso Read | Tourism can unlock India’s journey to a new milestoneThe number myopiaLet’s compare that with our Asian peers. Japan welcomed a record 36.87 million international visitors. Thailand attracted 35.55 million. Vietnam, once considered an emerging tourism destination, received 17.58 million tourists. Singapore, a city-state with an area smaller than Bengaluru, hosted 16.5 million visitors. South Korea welcomed 16.37 million international arrivals, while Indonesia recorded 13.9 million. Remarkably, Bali alone welcomed 6.33 million foreign visitors, nearly two-thirds of India’s total foreign tourist arrivals. Even Sri Lanka, which is still rebuilding after an unprecedented economic crisis, crossed the 2 million mark in 2024.These stats represent billions of dollars in foreign exchange earnings, millions of jobs, sustained investments, thriving local economies and decades of strategic destination marketing. India is no longer competing with Europe or America for global travellers. Sadly, it is increasingly losing market share to its own neighbourhood and some others like Turkey.The irony becomes even sharper when one considers India’s scale. India is nearly four times as large as Japan, several times the size of Thailand, and thousands of times larger than Singapore. The challenge, therefore, is not one of resources. It is one of strategy.AdvertisementDomestic & inbound: Partners, not proxiesIndia’s tourism story is of a nation that travels, but isn’t being travelled to. One possible reason behind it is that over the past decade, our narrative has increasingly concentrated on domestic tourism. There is no denying that the country’s domestic travel boom has transformed the hospitality industry, filled hotel rooms and stimulated regional economies. But domestic tourism and inbound tourism should never be viewed as substitutes. They serve entirely different economic purposes.A domestic tourist spends money already circulating within the Indian economy. A foreign tourist, on the other hand, brings entirely new money into the country. Every overseas visitor is effectively an export customer consuming Indian services without those services ever crossing a border. Every dollar spent on hotels, restaurants, transport, shopping, wellness treatments, handicrafts or entertainment strengthens India’s foreign exchange reserves while supporting businesses large and small. For comparison, we earned about US $ 35 billion last year compared to Thailand’s $ 65 billion, Japan’s $ 54.5 billion and countries like France, Spain and the UK nearing the three-figure mark.In an era where countries strive to increase exports, tourism remains one of the few industries where the customer travels to the producer. Tourism possesses one of the highest employment multipliers of any industry because spending permeates every layer of the economy. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the sector supported 46.5 to 45.8 million jobs in 2024–25, accounting for 9.1 per cent of total employment, while the WTTC forecasts that the global Travel & Tourism sector will support 376 million jobs worldwide in 2026, representing about 1 in 9 jobs globally.This is precisely why countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan treat tourism not merely as an industry but as an economic growth engine. We must begin thinking similarly.The end of postcard tourismThe first change required is philosophical as well as at the policy level. For years, India has attempted to market itself through monuments and postcard imagery. Today’s global travellers are looking for something far more tangible and meaningful. They are seeking authentic experiences that trigger FOMO through reels and scrolls.India’s greatest competitive advantage is not just the Taj Mahal, Benaras’s Ghats, Rajasthan’s palaces or Kerala’s backwaters. It is that India remains one of the few living civilisations where traditions continue to thrive in everyday life. The future of inbound tourism lies in showcasing India’s living culture.Imagine international campaigns centred around Durga Puja in Kolkata, Hornbill Festival in Nagaland, Thrissur Pooram in Kerala, Rann Utsav in Gujarat, Literary Fest in Jaipur or Music Fest in the ruins of Jaisalmer, the boat races of Kerala, tribal festivals in the Northeast, village tourism, regional cuisines and artisanal craft clusters; the list is endless. These experiences have the potential to become globally recognised tourism brands in themselves.Longer stays & weddingsCorporate travellers spend substantially more than leisure tourists. They utilise premium accommodation, organise events, dine extensively, and frequently extend their bleisure trips. India today possesses world-class convention infrastructure in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai, supported by internationally acclaimed hotel brands capable of hosting global events.India, today, is recognised as one of the world’s most strategic business destinations. From Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook to Mark Zuckerberg, the leadership of the world’s largest technology companies has consistently identified India as a pivotal market. Every year, thousands of CEOs, investors, entrepreneurs, delegates and corporate teams travel to India for multiple professional engagements. This presents an enormous opportunity to convert business travel into extended leisure stays by creating curated post-conference itineraries around heritage, wellness, wildlife, gastronomy and culture.The country also possesses a compelling opportunity in wedding tourism. Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to India for the most talked-about wedding last year of a leading corporate house underscored the global fascination with Indian celebrations and the scale on which they are executed. If India can host one of the world’s most talked-about weddings, it certainly has the credentials to position itself as a premier destination for international weddings. With our heritage and culture coupled with internationally acclaimed hotels and event expertise, the country has all the ingredients to attract destination weddings from around the globe.Over the past decade, the Indian government has made significant investments in tourism infrastructure, from world-class airports, great airline and rail network, and highways to convention centres and hospitality assets. The next imperative is to complement these physical investments with an equally robust global marketing strategy. One of India’s biggest shortcomings has been the absence of a sustained and well-funded overseas tourism campaign that consistently builds destination recall across key international markets.Alongside this, India needs globally recognisable tourism ambassadors. Just as sporting events and consumer brands rely on iconic personalities to build global recall, Indian tourism too needs a respected international face capable of consistently communicating the country’s tourism proposition.Civic sense and women safetyIn this global tourism marketplace, perceptions are built through everyday encounters, and two factors will play a decisive role in shaping how the world sees India: Civic sense and women’s safety.A traveller may be inspired by India’s heritage, culture and landscapes, but their final impression is shaped by the streets they walk on, the transport they use, the cleanliness they encounter and the interactions they have with people. The world’s most successful tourism destinations understand that public behaviour is an extension of their brand identity. Clean surroundings, organised public spaces, respectful interactions and efficient civic systems are not merely urban conveniences; they are tourism assets.Equally, women’s safety has become a defining measure of a destination’s maturity. As more women travel independently for leisure, wellness, business and adventure, their sense of security influences not only their own choices but also the recommendations they share with families, friends and online communities. A destination that does not feel safe cannot become a truly global destination.India’s hospitality has always been celebrated for its warmth, but the next leap requires converting that warmth into a consistently professional and secure visitor experience.India’s monuments may attract the world, but its people and public spaces will determine whether the world returns.The writer is Chairman, Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Committee, IMC-Mumbai