Indian online travel agency EaseMyTrip has partnered with Bank of Baroda to introduce the first co-branded travel debit card by a public sector bank in India. This is the latest in the trend of new travel cards in India.
27.09.2024 - 14:59 / skift.com / Bulbul Dhawan
Tourism accounts for nearly a quarter of Thailand’s economy and a tenth of Turkey’s. For India, the contribution is just 5%. But the plan is now to double that contribution.
Suman Billa, additional secretary for India’s Ministry of Tourism, said it’s possible, but there are several areas India needs to work on:
Easing congestion: India has already been spending on destination development, such as the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor and Ayodhya revamp. Several destinations are also implementing tourist registration systems to prevent overtourism. However, this effort would have to be more widespread.
Developing new destinations: Funds are also being allocated to develop new travel destinations. The Indian budget has given a boost to spiritual and religious tourism in Bihar and focused on developing tourism in Odisha. But India would still need to develop new and emerging destinations to avoid overtourism during peak travel periods.
Increasing airline capacity: The aviation sector in India is also expanding, however demand clearly exceeds supply. According to aviation analytics firm OAG, India’s domestic airline capacity was about 15.6 million in April this year, up from 8 million in April 2014. India is now the third-largest domestic aviation market. Air India and IndiGo have been increasing their international network and awaiting delivery of massive fleet orders. New airline Akasa has also entered the international market.
More airports: The number of airports in the country has increased from 74 in 2014 to 157 at present.
At the event, Billa said these strategies could bring up tourism’s contribution to GDP to at least 10%.
The number of international tourists to India has not recovered to pre-Covid levels. Even then, the highest number of inbound arrivals to the country has been less than 11 million. Inbound tourism generated a revenue of $30 billion for India last year, Dipak Deva, managing director of Travel Corporation India, said in an episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast earlier this month, while advocating for a change in the way the industry assesses tourism: not by tourist arrivals, by tourism revenue instead.
According to market research firm Future Market Insights, India is a prominent destination for the heritage tourism segment, especially in Asia. A report released by consultancy firm KPMG India earlier this year stated that in the 2022-23 financial year, ticketed monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India generated a revenue of INR 2.53 billion ($30.22 million).
However, the visitor experience at these locations falls short, Billa said. To address this, the Archaeological Survey of India and the Ministry of Tourism would need to collaborate to enhance tourism
Indian online travel agency EaseMyTrip has partnered with Bank of Baroda to introduce the first co-branded travel debit card by a public sector bank in India. This is the latest in the trend of new travel cards in India.
Goa is not ready to lose out on the destination wedding business, especially this close to the upcoming wedding season. The state has rolled back its decision to increase the fees to hold private events, including weddings.
While the Maharajas’ Express is often considered as India’s most luxurious train, it’s certainly not the only high-end option for rail travel in the country. The lesser-known Palace on Wheels, operating since 1982, is a train that runs seven-night, eight-day trips in the state of Rajasthan in very opulent fashion.
Coldplay is coming to Mumbai in January, and the hotels are ready to make money off of it. The band’s three-show event has caused hotel prices near the DY Patil Stadium to surge to INR 640,000 ($7,600) for three nights, according to prices listed on Booking.com.
Saudi Arabia has launched its first-ever marketing campaign targeted exclusively at Indian tourists: “Shaandaar (Spectacular) Saudi.”
A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller India.
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In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan dive into the top travel stories from India this month. They explore Leela Hotels’ move toward an IPO, South Africa’s new visa reforms, and Oyo’s acquisition of Motel 6. The discussion also covers key trends in Indian aviation and how Indian millennials are driving a surge in travel spending.
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Sep 19, 2024 • 9 min read