India recorded 9.2 million international tourist arrivals in 2025, a 9.4% decrease compared to 2024 figures. This number remains 17% below the pre-pandemic high of 10.9 million foreign visitors. The decline marks the second consecutive year of reduced inbound tourism to the country.
India’s government has raised its long-term inbound tourism target to 100 million foreign arrivals by 2047. Meeting this objective would require an average annual growth rate of at least 12% in tourist arrivals over the next two decades.
Challenges to inbound tourism growth include disruptions caused by the Iran War, which severed air corridors critical for long-haul
visitors to India. According to a report by the PHD Chamber of Commerce, India’s inbound tourism is forecasted to decline between 15% and 20% in 2026 due to these connectivity issues.
Official Target and Growth Strategy
At the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) summit in Malta, Indian Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reaffirmed the goal to increase international arrivals from 9.2 million in 2025 to 100 million by 2047. The summit was attended by WTTC leadership including Chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio and President & CEO Gloria Guevara.
Minister Shekhawat identified four key factors, the “four P’s,” as essential to achieving this growth: political will,
public spending, partnership, and people’s participation. These elements are considered critical to reversing recent declines and sustaining the required annual growth rate.
