The India State Ranking Survey, by Hotelivate in collaboration with the World Travel and Tourism Council India Initiative (WTTCII) was released at The Lalit Hotel New Delhi.
This is a biennial report by Hotelivate that evaluates the competitive standing of the nation’s 28 states and 2 Union Territories regarding their travel & tourism potential on 14 identified parameters. This is the 7th edition of the report since its inception in 2009, except for the COVID-19 pandemic year 2021.
India’s diversity, cultural richness, and robust economy, driven by a sizable youth population, make it an appealing destination for both domestic and international strategic investments. India ranks 9th out of all G20 countries, signalling that although the travel and tourism sector is well established, ongoing developments in policy, tourist infrastructure, safety, health, technology adaptation, and environmental sustainability continue to hold potential for improvement.
During the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meet in Goa, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s commitment to tourism, emphasising the development of transport infrastructure, hospitality, skill enhancement, and streamlined visa processes. The G20 presidency in 2023, with meetings held across 60 domestic destinations, allowed India to showcase its diverse tourism offerings globally.
Initiatives like the Swadesh Darshan scheme, aimed at developing comprehensive tourism packages for 50 destinations, and schemes like M-visa and PRASHAD for medical and spiritual tourism, underscore the government’s focus. Recent visa reforms, including the golden visa scheme, green residency, and new entry permits align with the tourism vision.
In terms of international tourist arrivals, a total of over 230 million international arrivals were recorded in 2023 in the Asia Pacific region, of which India accounted for 7.2 million. Figure 1 highlights the comparative international arrivals in select countries in the Asia Pacific region.
Countries such as Vietnam and China were ahead of India in this aspect. However, the outlook for the tourism industry remains optimistic. According to the WTTC, the Travel & Tourism sector contributed US$1.3 trillion to the overall GDP of the Asia Pacific region in 2022/23. As travel rebounds, this sector’s contribution is predicted to reach US$2.6 trillion in FY 2023.
However, the region remains behind its high point in 2019. The direct economic contribution of the Travel & Tourism sector in India stood at US$247 billion in 2022, largely driven by domestic travel expenditure accounting for 87% of the tourism spend. Additionally, the industry generated 35 million jobs in 2022/23, exhibiting an 8.3% growth over the last year, with a projected increase to 53 million over the next decade.
The Travel & Tourism industry, comprising hotels, airlines, and travel companies, is multifaceted. The India State Ranking Survey specifically focuses on the hospitality sector, using 14 key parameters to identify the best-performing states. These 14 parameters and their assigned weights are:
Report Courtesy: Hotelivate
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