Almost a global phenomenon, the post-pandemic surge in international travel is such that the story isn’t too different when it comes to Indians traveling overseas. Outbound Indian tourists’ numbers have crossed the pre-Covid levels. The picture isn’t as exciting, though, when it comes to foreign tourists coming into India. This remains an area of concern for the country’s tourism industry as FTAs are yet to bounce to pre-pandemic levels.
In the first six months of 2024, 47.78 lakh foreign tourists came to India, up 9.1 percent year-on-year but down 9.8 percent compared with the corresponding period of 2019, which was the last full year before the COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism. Even as the world is seeing a period of what came to be known as ‘revenge travel’ after the pandemic, India has clearly lost some of its sheen.
This trend increases awareness of the fact that, despite growing numbers of international travelers by the Indian resident population, the rate of foreign arrival into the country remains slower.
Many factors are partly to blame for this apparent delay like restrictions in visa policies, the capacity of flights, expensive travel, and safety and health concerns are some factors that are keeping some tourists from choosing India as a tourism destination.
However, the arrival of more numbers through tourism has also been hindered by other reasons, such as rising competition from other countries, which have adopted more aggressive promotion marketing strategies for inbound tourism. Thailand, UAE, and Maldives are among the world’s most successful nations in this regard, luring foreign travelers with remarkable packages and easy traveling prospects.
Competition From Other Countries
The problem of India’s ability to attract foreign tourism at this stage after the pandemic is the ever-stiffer competition from other tourist destinations. Thailand and UAE, along with Maldives, have come up as big competitors for Thailand, and they have been able to lure tourists with such strategies. These nations have used disease campaigns that focus on promoting international travel by unveiling attractive packages and easy procedures for entry, hence becoming favorite destinations for international travelers.
Having chosen the strategy of providing affordable luxury and possessing a relatively well-developed tourist infrastructure, Thailand has focused on becoming a receptive country for exotic holidays.
Altogether, the UAE, with its cardinal cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, provides itself as the representative of the cultural, innovative, and liberal profile of a travel destination. Ultimately, it can guarantee the safety of the guests, easy access to the place, and good connectivity.
On the other hand, Maldives is set to become an even more attractive destination for couples and honeymooners. The island’s quality services, which have always been appealing, will shine even brighter after the COVID-19 situation. And this makes it a must-visit for those seeking a romantic getaway.
However, India is struggling with multiple problems, like complex visa procedures and, more importantly, a passive policy towards visa tourism, which is hampering the overall scope of tourism. To counter the competition from other destinations, India needs to take a more proactive stance. This includes improving tourist connectivity, simplifying visa procedures, and offering more enticing travel options to make India a more appealing destination for international tourists.
Economic Impact On Declining Foreign Tourists
This reduction implies large-scale consequences on the economy of India, especially for different industries that economically depend on tourists who arrive from other countries.
Important to the GDP, tourism remains a significant source of revenue and employment in hotels, transport, and other markets. This marked reduction in visitor tally has also impacted business with revenues derived from tourist spends such as accommodation, food, beverages, and souvenirs.
Due to the reduced number of foreign visitors coming to India, there has been a drastic drop in foreign exchange earnings, which is influential for sustaining a good balance of payment position. Such a decline directly impacts the establishments that are related to tourism. And it also has a trickle-down effect on other industries that support the business of tourism for instance, agriculture and handicraft industries, which supply other products in the tourism industry.
Moreover, states which have strong tourism industries, like Goa and Rajasthan, are in stagnation mode now the unemployment rate and economic activity are low. The reduced number of tourists also slows down investment because firms and other partners cannot invest in a section that is not bouncing back. Thus, these economic losses should be reduced by the development of strategies that would help India become a competitive player in the market of foreign tourism.
