Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 13 : Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday highlighted the importance of tourism for India's economy, and said it provides jobs and increases government revenue.
Tharoor called for improved infrastructure, enhanced safety for women tourists, and the development of more mid-range hotels.
Speaking to the reporters at Skal India National Congress 2025, Shashi Tharoor said, "We have a lot of things to do. Tourism is very important. This gives employment to the people. It will increase revenue for the government. We need to improve our infrastructure."
Tharoor also stressed the need to change the global image of India as unsafe for women by deploying more women police officers in tourist areas.
"Our nation has an image that India is not safe for women. We need to change this image. We have to do something about it. More women police officers must be deployed in the tourist areas... We either have high-end 5-star hotels or extremely poor quality; there is nothing in between. We need to construct a lot," Tharoor said.
India's tourism and hospitality sector is set to witness record growth, with projections indicating the industry could reach nearly USD 60 billion by 2028, according to a report by IDBI Capital.
The report highlighted that domestic tourism will be the main driver of this growth. The number of domestic visitors is expected to double from 2.5 billion in 2024 to 5.2 billion by 2030, translating into a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.4 per cent.
It stated, "We remain positive on domestic hospitality space led by demand-supply mismatch, FTA, increased corporate travel, and MICE will aid RevPAR growth... Tourism and Hospitality Sector Poised for Record Growth, Projecting Nearly Sixty Billion by 2028."
The report, mentioning the World Travel & Tourism Council's (WTTC) estimate, also predicted a significant increase in visitor spending.
It is estimated that spending by both domestic and international travellers will almost triple to Rs 33.95 trillion by 2034. This strong growth will be supported by better connectivity across the country, with developments in air, road, and rail infrastructure playing a key role in boosting travel.