According to Booking.com’s annual travel predictions 2025, unique and unexplored destinations are set to capture Indian travellers’ attention this year. It reveals that Gudauri & Tbilisi in Georgia, Gabala in Azerbaijan, and Tromsø in Norway are among the top trending international destinations for Indian travellers in 2025.

Thailand welcomed more than 35 million international tourists in 2024, surpassing the government’s target. India has contributed as the top 3 source markets in this tourist influx after China and Malaysia. Consequently, Thailand generated more than 1.6 trillion baht (US$46 billion) from tourist spending in 2024, according to Sorawong Thienthong, Tourism Minister, Thailand.

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh has announced ₹2415 crore for strengthening the tourism infrastructure in the state. He said that wellness centres would be developed at Nadaun in Hamirpur district, Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra district, Kullu and Manali in Kullu district with a total cost of ₹280.39 crore.

ICRA expects Indian hospitality industry’s revenue to grow by 7-9 per cent YoY in FY2025 and 6-8 per cent YoY in FY2026. It estimates pan-India premium hotel occupancy to improve to 72-74 per cent in FY2026 from 70-72 per cent in FY2025. The ARRs for premium hotels may rise to ₹7,800-8,000 for FY2025 (up 8 per cent YoY) and to ₹8,000-8,400 in FY2026.

Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI) has proposed to the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, to include tourism in the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) framework. It stated, “Such inclusion will ensure affordable credit, pave the way for sustainable development, and will catalyse investments, create jobs.”

As per Raja Yaqoob Farooq, Director Tourism, J&K, in 2024, the Union Territory witnessed 2.7 million tourist arrivals. Furthermore, the J&K administration launched an ambitious plan to develop 75 new tourist destinations, 75 heritage and cultural sites, 75 Sufi and religious sites, and 75 adventure treks, to attract tourists across all four seasons.

Suman Billa, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, GoI believes that a well-thought-out policy framework is essential to address existing challenges in the tourism sector. “We should undertake carrying capacity studies to assess factors such as vehicular traffic, room availability, waste management, disaster resilience, etc.,” he added.

As per Cleartrip report, in 2024, Southeast Asian destinations have emerged as travellers’ top choices due to affordable travel and payment innovations adopted by Gen Z and senior citizens. Bookings to Denpasar (Bali) surged by 73 percent compared to 2023. However, on domestic front, bookings to Agatti Island in Lakshadweep rose by 94 per cent, due to increased air connectivity.

FHRAI suggested Ministry of Tourism to establish a central portal by NCHMCT to address the ongoing human resource shortages and skill gaps faced by the hospitality industry. It also suggested updating curriculums every 3-5 years as per industry trends, and balancing the allocation of seats for both managerial and frontline roles.

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi urged the Centre to announce a special package for the eastern state, stating that about ₹10,000 crore of investment was needed to create a world-class tourism infrastructure in Odisha. He made the demand at the pre-budget consultation meeting with Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.