Opinion | Why Foreign Tourists Hesitate To Visit India

India as a travel destination suffers from an image issue. And its popular tourism mottos, 'Atithi devo bhava' or 'Incredible India', aren't doing much to change the perception. 

According to the findings of a survey conducted by Booking.com, as many as 32% of foreign travellers to India listed "getting sick" as their biggest concern, while 27% international travellers to India mentioned "safety and security" as their biggest worry. Cultural differences (13%) and language barriers (12%) were also cited as other concerns. Health and safety issues were also the biggest factors cited by foreign tourists who visited India but did not wish to return.

The survey, specific to India's inbound travel trends, was conducted in August and involved 2,000 adults from 19 countries, also mentions that other Southeast Asian countries are attracting more travellers due to their easy visa regimes and value-for-money propositions for tourists. 

Why India Has Lagged Behind

Foreign tourist arrivals in India have remained well below pre-pandemic levels, despite a recovery in 2023. It reached 4.78 million in the first half of 2024, showing a recovery from 4.38 million in 2023, but still short of pre-Covid figures of 5.29 million in 2019. Interestingly, more Indians are now travelling abroad. But proportionately, fewer foreign tourists are coming into India.

We may be a welcoming country, but our visa process is cumbersome. We may have constructed roads and metros but we still haven't been able to match infrastructure-friendly countries, including some Southeast Asian nations, where travel is comparatively easy, organised and reasonable. Lack of quality budget hotels and the absence of organised transportation are a few reasons that dissuade foreign tourists from coming to India.

Industry bodies feel that this is largely because of a lack of aggressive marketing and the absence of tourism offices in key markets. "Our marketing and promotions are not up to the level of Southeast Asian countries. The roadshows by Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and the visa facilitation by them, including by Sri Lanka, make them destinations of choice," says Rajiv Mehra, President of the Indian Association of Tour Operators.

International tourists, particularly women, feel India is an unsafe place to travel to. Frequent news reports about rape and harassment also worry tourists.

Other than that, factors like insensitive immigration officials, the scourge of touts, chaotic airport arrivals, unhygienic locations and food, also leave a very negative impact.

Even a small country like Vietnam, an emerging tourist destination, has better roads, and better tourist infrastructure like buses, trains, coaches and taxis, and is very affordable.

Capitalising On Buddhist Circuits

To address the tourism downturn, India needs to focus on infrastructural improvements and targeted marketing campaigns. Direct international air connectivity and simplification of visa processes can help India promote itself as a global tourist destination. "Airfares going northwards is another deterrent. Unprecedented demand for big fat weddings among Indians has pushed hotel rates by 25% in places like Udaipur and Goa," says Mehra. "The GST amount is very high in India compared to other countries. For example, against India's 23% GST, France charges 10%, UK 15%, Southeast Asia and China between 7% to 8%, etc. This has made India's in-bound tourism sector extremely uncompetitive," he adds.

India also hasn't been able to capitalise on the huge potential of its Buddhist heritage and hasn't been able to popularise its Buddhist circuits. Destinations like Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Kushinagar, Dharamshala, Ladakh, etc, fail to attract significant numbers of tourists due to lack of cleanliness, amenities and safety. This is ironic as there are a large numbers of Buddhists in China, Japan, Sri Lanka and Central and Southeast Asian countries, a tourist market India hasn't been able to tap. 
However, not all is bleak. There were some optimistic messages in the survey as well. As many as 40% responders said they had never been to India but planned to visit.

To attract foreign tourists, the Indian tourism industry must up its hospitality game. There needs to be better coordination between the Centre and states to enhance the visitors' experience. The Indian government has been promoting domestic tourism in a big way. But the ministry must focus on prioritising the foreign tourist sector too, as it is a crucial means for both economic and socio-cultural exchange. 

(The author is Contributing Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author