India Records Sharp Rise in Foreign Tourist Arrivals as Winter Season Begins; Hospitality Sector Sees 15% Jump

1. A revival turning into momentum

India’s tourism sector is entering its most dynamic phase in nearly a decade. As the winter season officially begins, foreign tourist arrivals have surged sharply across major ports of entry — Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Kochi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Jaipur. Industry trackers and hospitality associations report that the rise is not marginal; rather, it reflects broad-based revival and accelerating international confidence in India as a travel destination.

Compared to the same period last year, India has witnessed a significant double-digit increase in travellers from Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. Multiple stakeholders — from airport operators to hotel chains to state tourism boards — confirm a coordinated upswing. For the first time since the pandemic period, long-haul travellers are returning in strong numbers, often with longer itineraries and higher spending patterns.

The winter season in India typically marks the high point for inbound travel. This year, however, the scale of interest suggests something more structural: renewed global appetite for cultural, spiritual, adventure, medical, and business tourism. The result is a positive ripple effect across allied sectors including aviation, retail, events, and food and beverage.

2. What’s driving the surge?

Several factors lie behind this steep revival:

• Improved global mobility: International travel restrictions have stabilized and visa processes have been simplified for several key markets.
• Shift toward experiential and cultural travel: India’s reputation as a destination for unique cultural, spiritual, and festival-based tourism has drawn record interest.
• India’s growing geopolitical visibility: Global events, summits, trade collaborations, and India’s rising profile in international media have raised awareness of the country’s offerings.
• State-level tourism campaigns: Aggressive promotions by Kerala, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Goa have attracted visitors seeking thematic travel experiences.
• The ongoing INR-benefit for global tourists: A relatively favourable currency makes premium hotels, wellness retreats, and extended rural stays more affordable for international travellers.
• Festival tourism: Demand spikes have been observed around Diwali, Christmas, New Year, and upcoming winter events across major cities.

In combination, these trends have created a “perfect season” for India’s travel economy — one that policymakers believe could sustain well into 2026.

3. Airports witnessing record arrivals

Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru airports are seeing continuous high passenger traffic, with long queues at immigration counters during peak hours. The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi alone reported a significant increase in long-haul flights from Europe and the United States. Airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, American Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Emirates have added frequencies or upgraded aircraft to handle rising demand.

Airlines focused on Southeast Asian routes — including Malaysia Airlines, Indigo’s international partners, AirAsia, and Scoot — have experienced substantial year-on-year growth. Many carriers report over 90 percent seat load factors on inbound routes, particularly during weekends.

Regional airports such as Kochi, Jaipur, and Goa are also benefiting from winter tourism, especially from charter flights. Russian, German, British, and Middle Eastern tour operators have revived multi-week travel packages, signaling restored confidence in structured and group tourism markets.

4. Hotels near full occupancy

India’s hospitality sector is entering a high-profit period. Hotels in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Goa, Udaipur, Rishikesh, Varanasi, and Chennai are reporting 80–98% average occupancy — a rare peak not seen in several years.

The luxury segment is outperforming all expectations. International five-star chains report that bookings from Europe and North America have increased significantly, with many visitors combining business travel with leisure. Boutique hotels, palace stays, and wellness resorts — especially in Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Kerala — are witnessing strong advance bookings for January and February.

5. Rise of “long-stay tourism”

One fascinating shift is the rise of long-stay travellers who spend between 14 and 35 days in India. These travellers tend to be remote workers, cultural enthusiasts, and “slow tourism” advocates. States such as Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka have emerged as hubs for long-stay digital nomads who are attracted by India’s affordability and access to diverse ecosystems.

Local businesses — cafés, co-working spaces, homestays, and wellness studios — are adapting to foreign customer expectations. The economic benefits extend far beyond hotels, reaching transport providers, artisans, local guides, restaurants, and markets.

6. Impact on state economies

Tourism-dependent states are experiencing a meaningful revenue uplift. For instance:

• Rajasthan: International bookings for forts, palaces, desert festivals, and wildlife safaris have surged.
• Kerala: Backwater tourism, Ayurveda retreats, and monsoon-winter packages are driving strong inbound demand.
• Goa: Charter flight tourism and nightlife-based travel have rebounded significantly.
• Uttarakhand: Spiritual and wellness tourism continues to expand across Rishikesh and Haridwar.
• Karnataka: Hampi, Coorg, and Bengaluru are seeing major rises in international interest.

As a result, state tourism boards are scaling up digital campaigns, festival calendars, and infrastructure projects aimed at supporting ongoing growth.

7. Medical and wellness tourism on the rise

India’s global leadership in medical tourism continues to strengthen. Hospitals in Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Mumbai are receiving high numbers of patients from Bangladesh, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia seeking affordable and high-quality healthcare. Many combine treatment with extended stays at recovery resorts and wellness centers.

Wellness tourism, in particular, is seeing a renaissance. International travellers are signing up for yoga retreats, meditation camps, naturopathy centers, detox resorts, and Ayurveda programs. This sector alone contributes significantly to high-value tourism expenditure.

8. Challenges the sector must address

While the surge is positive, industry leaders highlight persistent challenges:

• Infrastructure strain: Many airports are stretched to capacity during peak hours.
• Skilled manpower shortage: Hotels report difficulty in hiring trained hospitality staff post-pandemic.
• Transport bottlenecks: Peak-season congestion affects major tourist destinations.
• Pollution concerns in North India: Air quality issues remain a hurdle for winter tourism in the NCR.
• Visa-processing delays: Although improved, some high-volume markets still face slowdowns.

These structural issues need long-term attention if India aims to position itself as a global tourism powerhouse.

9. Economic implications for FY26

The surge in tourism is expected to meaningfully contribute to India’s economic growth outlook for the current financial year. Hospitality, aviation, and retail sectors collectively employ millions and directly boost GDP through consumption and service exports.

Economists predict that India could surpass its pre-pandemic foreign tourist arrival numbers by early 2026, provided global stability and domestic facilitation continue. The hospitality industry is already revising revenue projections upward, anticipating strong winter occupancy and sustained travel interest through spring.

10. The road ahead

India’s tourism revival demonstrates a powerful blend of renewed global interest, government facilitation, and private-sector readiness. The focus now shifts to sustaining momentum:

• Strengthening last-mile connectivity in tourist hotspots.
• Upgrading airports and processing systems.
• Scaling up tourism-related skill development programs.
• Expanding digital tourism services and multilingual offerings.
• Positioning India as a premium long-haul destination.

As the world looks for unique, meaningful, and wellness-oriented travel experiences, India has emerged as a compelling destination. The challenge — and opportunity — lies in matching demand with world-class infrastructure and consistent service quality.

With the winter season only beginning, the tourism sector’s growth trajectory appears firmly upward, promising broader economic benefits for the country across the next several quarters.