A decade ago, travelling across India felt like an adventure filled with both beauty and barriers. Long queues for visas, crowded trains, and limited flight options meant that many breathtaking destinations remained out of reach for visitors, both international and domestic. Tourism
was largely centred on a few iconic cities and monuments, while countless hidden gems stayed off the map.
Fast forward to today, and the scene has dramatically changed. Modern airports rise in smaller towns, highways cut travel time, and e-visas bring visitors from around the world with a few clicks.
Digital platforms make exploring easier than ever, while newnthemes like wellness, adventure, luxury weddings, and eco-tourism are reshaping how people experience India.
Tourism is no longer just an industry. It’s a powerful driver of economic growth, cultural exchange, and local empowerment. With millions of jobs created, billions in revenue generated, and India’s image on the global stage strengthened, the past ten years have been nothing short of a tourism revolution.
This is not just a story of numbers and policies. It is the story of a nation that reimagined the way it welcomes the world.
From Visa Hurdle to Welcome Mat
One of the biggest shifts has been making it easier to travel to India. Over the past decade, the Government of India expanded the e-Visa system to cover more than 160 countries. This meant
that travellers could apply online quickly, without going through long embassy procedures. Immigration counters were also up graded at many airports to speed up arrivals.
Alongside easier visas, India launched “Incredible India 2.0” to target specific global markets with sharper campaigns. At home, the “Dekho Apna Desh” campaign encouraged Indians to explore
their own country. These efforts highlighted not just monuments, but also themes like wellness, wildlife, spirituality, food, and eco-tourism.
For example, states like Kerala promoted Ayurveda retreats, Uttarakhand offered yoga tourism, and Rajasthan focused on royal heritage experiences. By matching what travellers were looking for with what India could offer, tourism promotion became smarter and more effective.
Airports, Roads and Cheap Flights: The Connectivity Engine
Another major factor behind India’s tourism boom has been infrastructure — especially airports, roads, and regional connectivity.
In 2014, India had only about 74 airports. By 2024, that number had more than doubled to around 159 airports, thanks to the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme. This regional connectivity program opened up air travel to smaller towns and cities.
Suddenly, places that required overnight trains or long drives became reachable in a few hours by flight. Improved roads and highways also made it easier for domestic tourists to take weekend trips to new destinations.
This has helped spread tourism beyond major cities. Tier-2 and Tier-3 destinations such as Varanasi, Coimbatore, Shillong, and Bhubaneswar are now attracting both Indian and foreign travellers.
Emerging Tourism Themes Spark a Surge in Visitors
India has always been famous for its history and culture. But in the last decade, the country started focusing on niche tourism segments, specialised travel experiences that appeal to different kinds
of visitors.
Some examples include:
- Wellness Tourism: Ayurveda and yoga centres in Kerala and Uttarakhand attracted health-conscious visitors from Europe and Asia.
- Adventure Tourism: Himachal Pradesh, the Northeast, and Ladakh saw a rise in trekking, cycling, and eco-friendly tours.
- Spiritual Tourism: The redevelopment of places like the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi drew millions of domestic pilgrims and international spiritual seekers.
- Luxury & Wedding Tourism: Rajasthan, Goa, and heritage properties hosted high-end destination weddings and royal experiences.
These niche segments created new jobs, encouraged local entre preneurship, and drew higher-spending tourists to different parts of India. Private sector innovators and startups played an outsize role here. Digital platforms made it easier to discover, compare and book niche experiences; social media influencers and travel journalists helped build desirability; and micro-investors converted family homes into branded homestays, giving rural communities direct access to tourism revenues. The Ministry of Tourism’s programs to promote niche products and statelevel incubators for tourism entrepreneurship accelerated this change.
The Numbers That Matter: Growth, Jobs and Spend
Numbers are the scaffolding under any big narrative. By 2024–25, India recorded a dramatic rebound in foreign tourist arrivals: official Bureau of Immigration figures and Ministry statements place total Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in 2024 at nearly 9.95 million (99.52 lakh), up from 9.52 million in 2023 still shy of the pre-pandemic peak but clearly on an upward trajectory.
Equally important has been the sector’s economic footprint. According to global industry data and WTTC analysis, international visitor spending in India reached record levels in 2024 WTTC reported international visitor spend at around ₹3.1 trillion for 2024 and placed the total Travel & Tourism contribution to the economy at almost ₹21 trillion (with projections to grow further). Those
numbers underline an important fact: tourism is no longer a marginal cultural industry; it is a macroeconomic lever.
On employment, official ministry releases indicate that tourism regained pre-pandemic levels as early as FY23, with the sector contributing about 5% to GDP and creating millions of direct and indirect jobs. The Ministry reported that tourism created about 7.6 crore jobs in FY23 — a reminder that for many regions, tourism is a primary engine of livelihoods.
Those are the load-bearing facts: more visitors, bigger spend, and millions of livelihoods. They are the reason bureaucrats have increasingly treated tourism as a national economic priority rather than as an afterthought of culture ministries.