India saw 92 lakh foreign tourist arrivals in 2023, signifying a positive post-pandemic revival, the Chief Economic Advisor has said in the Economic Survey released on July 22.

The survey, which was tabled in Parliament, said India’s tourism industry showed positive signs of revival post-pandemic with an year-on-year increase of 43.5%. The hospitality industry has also met the needs of the increasing numbers of tourists successfully. “In 2023, the highest amount of new supply was created with the addition of 14,000 rooms, bringing the total inventory of chain-affiliated rooms to 183,000 in India,” the survey said.

The survey observed that the tourism sector represents relatively low hanging fruit for job creation amid a challenging environment in services and manufacturing industries due to the rise of Artificial Intelligence, protectionism, and supply concerns. “India needs to seize the opportunity,” the survey said.

The Union Tourism Ministry has initiated the Incredible India Tourism Facilitator Certificate Programme to formalise employment within the sector and aims to create a skilled cadre of tourist facilitators nationwide through a digital platform that offers online learning opportunities and certification courses, the survey said.

The Economic Survey further said that India has significantly earned foreign exchange receipts amounting to over ₹2.3 lakh crore through tourism. The country’s share of foreign exchange earnings in world tourism receipts increased from 1.38% in 2021 to 1.58% in 2022.

Hotels are also adopting innovative operational strategies, including leasing or managing external restaurant, spa, and lounge brands, to capitalise on established concepts that attract hotel residents, thereby boosting revenue, the survey said.

In the financial year 2023-24, the average daily rate increased from ₹6,704 to ₹7,616, marking year-on-year growth of 13.6%, the survey said.