India expands e-visas, digital tourism stack and regional air connectivity to lift travel footfall
Government tourism data puts the sector at 5.22% of GDP and 8.46 crore jobs in 2023-24. Expanded e-visa access, the National Digital Tourism Stack and a ₹28,840 crore modified UDAN programme could support demand for hotels, airports and travel-facing retail.
What happened
Government of India · India is expanding digital tourism services, e-visa access and regional connectivity. The planned National Digital Tourism Stack, Dekho
Key facts
- Tourism contributed 5.22% to India GDP in 2023-24
- Tourism supported 8.46 crore jobs in 2023-24
- Domestic tourist visits reached 428.55 crore in 2025 versus 67.7 crore in 2021
- Foreign tourist visits reached 2.53 crore in 2025 versus 0.1 crore in 2021
- Tourism foreign-exchange earnings reached ₹2,76,831 crore in 2025 versus ₹63,978 crore in 2021
Why this matters
Broader e-visa access, a digital tourism stack and expanded regional air links should lift hotel, airport and travel-retail footfall, especially in secondary destinations.
What to watch
- Monthly foreign tourist arrivals and e-visa issuance by source country
- International and regional domestic passenger growth at newly connected airports
- UDAN route launches, route persistence after subsidy periods, and airport/helipad commissioning pace
- Hotel occupancy, ADR and new room supply in tourism hubs and tier-2 destinations
- Airport retail concession awards, terminal expansion timelines and non-aeronautical revenue trends
Also reported by
- BL · Consumer & Economy — Same time