Direct contribution of tourism and hospitality to GDP in India 2012-2034

In 2023, the direct contribution of tourism & hospitality industry to India's GDP was over 231 billion U.S. dollars. This was forecasted to be 523 billion U.S. dollars by 2034. India had the second highest tourism GDP contribution in Asia-Pacific.

Ever-growing industry

   Travel and tourism is one of India’s largest economic sectors, ranking eighth among the leading countries in terms of direct contribution to GDP. As a dynamic sector, it was estimated to provide employment to over 81 million people in 2018, including both direct and indirect employment. Even though a variety of skilled jobs are offered in this sector, employment under passenger transportation has been the highest through the years.

Tourism as revenue machinery

Most of the tourism revenue in India comes from domestic tourists. However, India has witnessed an exponential rise in foreign exchange earnings since 2000, along with an increased inflow of foreign tourists into the country. Even though India is not among the top ten countries with the highest foreign tourism revenue, it is not too far behind. In recent years, the government has implemented new visa policies and advertised niche tourism products to boost tourism.