British travellers have fallen out of love with India

Telegraph

16-02-2025

Since the pandemic, there have been innumerable instances of overtourism around the globe. Increased demand to see the world has caused air fares to surge and anti-visitor protests to mushroom. But a handful of destinations have escaped the international post-Covid crowds – among them, India, where international arrivals were down almost 10 per cent compared with pre-pandemic levels in the period between January and June 2024.
It's a country that should see more global visitors than it does. In 2024, India came ninth and sixth respectively in the cultural and natural resources categories of the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Development Index, but it only placed 39th overall – behind unlikely tourist destinations including Hungary and Belgium, and let down by poor scores for health and hygiene, information and continuity technology, and the labour market.
The tourism industry currently accounts for a relatively low 2 per cent of India's GDP. However, with increased demand among domestic tourists (who made 2,509 million stays in the country during 2023 according to Ministry of Tourism data, compared with 18.89 million by international visitors), the government slashed its global tourism marketing budget by more than 80 per cent in 2024, while doubling its domestic one.
'Domestic tourism is booming in India,' said one operator, who asked to remain anonymous. 'Many property owners and tourist boards are happier to focus on this market as it's easier to service.'
Nevertheless, some industry insiders were concerned by the news. 'This continuous reduction in funds post-Covid has resulted in the Ministry of Tourism repeatedly seeking approvals from the Finance Ministry for participation in overseas events,' Rajiv Mehra, the president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, recently told the country's Economic Times. 'This has led to diminished international representation for India, unlike competing nations such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Mauritius, which invest substantially in their tourism promotions and secure greater visibility in global travel markets.'
One region of India may have been particularly hard hit. In late 2024, an argument erupted between social media influencers and Goa's tourism team. Across Instagram and TikTok, videos began to appear featuring empty beaches and hotels – leaving tourism minister Rohan Khaunte livid.
'These influencers are paid influencers onboarded by people to malign Goa,' he is reported to have said at a press conference. 'As far as data is concerned, we have surpassed the figures for domestic tourist arrivals [as compared to last year]. The season has been good, exceptional… and we expect 2025 will also be good for tourism.'
Despite this, stories of high prices for taxis and accommodation may have tarnished Goa's image as a backpacker's paradise, leaving new pretenders able to steal some of its market share. Sri Lanka has forged a reputation for offering fantastic accommodation and service at competitive prices, while interest continues to grow in Vietnam, which is seen as friendly and easy to explore.
'I've certainly heard rumours of Goa going off the boil,' said Nick Pulley, the founder of Selective Asia. 'It was never really an area of focus for us. The south of Goa is still home to the best of the state's beaches and there are fascinating cultural sites to be found nearby, but we favour the more remote sands of the Andaman Islands for beach.'
The country as a whole also has a problem with a lack of luxury accommodation. As domestic tourism booms, foreign visitors can struggle to find space at the sorts of hotels they've grown used to elsewhere.
'When it comes to accommodation, major cities and hubs have a good range of premium and boutique options on offer, but emerging towns and destinations have a lack of high-end options which makes it harder to attract customers wanting a comfortable or luxury stay,' said Rama Mahendru, Intrepid Travel's general manager for India.
Then there's the visa process. Notoriously laborious for many years, it was streamlined by the introduction of an e-visa system in 2015, but 'some travellers face problems with getting visas processed, which is a deterrent for last-minute bookings to the country,' she added.
Post-pandemic popularity and marketing strategies are still having an effect too. Some other countries emerged from their lockdowns as prime bucket list fodder for big ticket trips. ' Japan is taking the focus from everywhere,' said Pulley, who noted that 40 per cent of all Selective Asia's enquiries from 2025's recent Destinations Travel Show were for the country.
When the company's clients do visit India, they want to see the country differently and avoid the coach-tour thronged sites. 'Clients are looking beyond Rajasthan's Golden Triangle and a straightforward backwater of Kerala trip – they want to go further and scratch deeper beneath the surface. We are seeing growing interest in regions such as Karnataka and Gujarat,' he added.
'The north-east region, including areas like Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, are emerging as the main choice for adventure seekers who are looking for an alternative holiday with fewer crowds,' said Mahendru. 'The region offers amazing wildlife reserves, wetlands and mountain villages with interesting history. Intrepid's India Expedition: Sikkim, Assam and Nagaland visits Nagaland and includes a stay in a traditional Naga village – with the indigenous people of north-eastern India and north-west Myanmar. Travellers learn about their wildlife conservation work and get a glimpse into traditional tribal life.'
It's against this backdrop that InsideAsia will launch holidays to India for the first time later in 2025. 'Regarding the visitor numbers being down, we don't make decisions based on short-term trends,' says Alastair Donnelly, Inside Travel Group's co-founder. 'India has enormous potential for our style of travel and approach. It's a crazy place and a huge amount of fun. And we like that.'
It's one of the signs that the tide may be turning for tourism in India among British visitors. Passenger numbers on tours to the country with Newmarket Holidays were up 76 per cent year on year in 2024, with safari and beach extensions proving popular. Meanwhile, big-name operators Saga and Titan report a huge surge in bookings for 2026 – up 118 per cent and 78 per cent respectively.
Meanwhile, in a recent announcement about spending for 2025 and 2026, the government revealed an intention to improve infrastructure and hotels near 50 key attractions, aid hospitality training, create some visa waivers and highlight wellness holidays and medical tourism. So soon, it may once again be a case of 'book this place' rather than 'watch this space'.