Janice Alyosius

India must focus on attracting higher-spending, experience-driven travellers: Dr Jyotsna Sur

India must now focus on attracting higher-spending, experience-driven travellers, said Dr Jyotsna Suri, CMD, Lalit Suri Hospitality Group. “We’ve had backpackers. Now, we need better quality tourists. For them, slight price differences with Thailand or Indonesia don’t matter,” she noted. “India offers great value—and that’s what we must promote through a sharper, segmented Incredible India campaign,” she added. 

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IndiGo-TAT in talks for direct India-Chiang Mai flights to boost travel: Director, TAT, Delhi   

Sirigesanong Trirattanasongpol, Director, TAT, Delhi Office shared that IndiGo and TAT are in dialogue to start a direct flight from India (city not confirmed) to Chiang Mai. Stakeholders believe that it will boost the numbers of Indian travellers to Chiang Mai i.e. North Thailand. Currently Indians mostly prefer South Thailand due to direct connectivity. This may help Thailand in reaching its target of welcoming around 2.3 million Indians in 2025.

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India must embrace digital and seamless visa solutions, should adopt globale best practices: Julia Simpson  

Julia Simpson, President & CEO, WTTC, said, “India has great infrastructure, but to grow further, we must embrace digital and seamless travel.” Citing her easy UK-to-India visa experience, she stressed replicating that for others. “We should learn from China’s short-stay visa model-fast, digital and paperless,” she added, advocating smart reforms to support tourism recovery and expansion. 

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Uttar Pradesh government approves Homestay and B&B Policy 2025 to boost tourism and employment 

The Uttar Pradesh government has approved the Homestay and Bed & Breakfast Policy 2025 to promote tourism, improve accommodation standards, and generate local jobs. Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said the policy enhances tourist experiences while supporting economic growth. It also mandates NOCs from local bodies for operational compliance by eligible homestay and B&B units. 

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Driven by evolving habitsIndian travellers, outbound market to grow by 10–12%, : KD Singh

Commenting on India’s outbound, KD Singh, Founder & President, TravelBullz.com, said, “India’s outbound market is going to grow by at least 10-12%, minimum, if not more. We are issuing a million passports a month. That is the base for the future travel people. Indians who have seen it all will go out but they are wanting to go to Kenya or Egypt. They are going to make walking tours. Overall, their way to look at a holiday is changing.” 

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Lalit Group to develop Chitrakoot hotel, focus on mid-segment and non-metros: CMD

Dr Jyotsna Suri, CMD, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, revealed plans to develop a mid-segment hotel in Chitrakoot as part of a broader focus on religious tourism. “We also have an interest in developing the religious circuit. We’re not really keen to do more hotels in the metros. I now want to move to offbeat locations,” she said. Suri emphasised a shift from metro cities to emerging destinations.

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India’s aviation fleet among youngest globally, driving environmental progress: IATA

Willie Walsh, DG, IATA, said India is committed to addressing environmental challenges in aviation. He highlighted that India’s fleet is very young compared to the global average. With new aircraft orders, the average age of planes operating in India is expected to remain one of the youngest fleets worldwide, supporting greener air travel.

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52% Indian travellers prefer quieter spots over popular ones this summer: Skyscanner report  

According to Skyscanner, 96% of Indian travellers plan to travel the same or more this summer, with 95% prioritising maximising their summer vacations. A notable trend is the growing preference for quieter, less-crowded destinations, chosen by over 52% of Indians. This shift, along with rising interest in off-season travel, reflects a move towards more mindful and crowd-free holiday experiences. 

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National travel associations visit Kashmir, optimistic about tourism recovery by mid-2025  

In a joint visit led by MTOA, key travel associations including ADTOI, TAAI, TAFI, OTOAI and IATO met Farooq and Omar Abdullah in Kashmir to discuss tourism revival. “The situation is normal with most experiences open,” said Dharmendra Singh, Chairman-Maharashtra Chapter, ADTOI. “Inquiries have started, and I believe things will improve by June-July,” he added. 

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India’s travel sector at ₹21 trillion in 2024, forecast to reach ₹22 trillion in 2025: WTTC 

Julia Simpson, President and CEO, WTTC, revealed India’s travel sector reached ₹21 trillion in 2024, driven by ₹3.1 trillion international and ₹15.5 trillion domestic spending. For 2025, spending is forecast at ₹3.2 trillion international and ₹16.8 trillion domestic, with overall contribution expected to hit ₹22 trillion. By 2035, the sector may nearly double to ₹42 trillion. 

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