India is aiming to double tourism’s contribution to the country’s GDP to 10% over the next decade, backed by rapid infrastructure expansion, rising domestic travel demand and growing international arrivals, according to Suman Billa.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the 15th edition of The Great Indian Travel Bazaar 2026, Billa said the government is aligning its tourism strategy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of significantly expanding the sector’s economic contribution.
“A few months ago, the honourable Prime Minister laid out the ambition for India’s tourism very clearly, the sector’s contribution to GDP must double from 5.22% to 10% within the next 10 years. For us, that is the target, that is the goal, and we need to ensure that we achieve that goal,” Billa said.
He highlighted that infrastructure growth is emerging as a major catalyst for tourism expansion. “Since 2014, the number of airports in the country has doubled from 75 to 150. Our rail network has also increased tremendously. Trains like Vande Bharat Express are fast, convenient, safe and secure, and are great enablers for tourism,” Billa said.
He added that India’s road infrastructure has expanded significantly, while the country’s aircraft fleet is expected to grow from nearly 800 aircraft currently to around 1,600 by 2030.
Billa also highlighted the sharp rise in domestic tourism over the past decade. “In 2014, we had 1.5 billion domestic tourist visits. That number in 2025 has crossed the 4 billion mark, which is almost a threefold increase in a decade,” he said.
International tourism has also shown strong momentum, with foreign tourist arrivals rising from nearly 10 million in 2014 to 20 million currently. Foreign exchange earnings from tourism now stand at $32 billion.
Despite this growth, Billa said India remains significantly under-leveraged as a global tourism destination considering its cultural diversity and geographical scale.
He urged stakeholders to accelerate investments in hospitality infrastructure and destination development.
“We need to double hotel capacity and build destinations at scale with exceptional standards so that we can compete with the best global destinations,” he said, adding that stronger tourism infrastructure would help India retain outbound travellers while attracting high-spending international visitors.
The remarks came during the 15th edition of The Great Indian Travel Bazaar 2026, which concluded recently at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre after a three-day run that reinforced India’s growing position as an inbound tourism destination.
Organised by the Ministry of Tourism Government of India in partnership with the Department of Tourism Government of Rajasthan and FICCI, the event brought together stakeholders from across India’s tourism ecosystem.
The event facilitated more than 10,000 structured B2B meetings between international foreign tour operators and domestic sellers over three days.
GITB 2026 hosted over 195 foreign buyers from more than 50 countries, along with nine state tourism boards and over 225 hotels and tour operators. The event was inaugurated on April 26 at Jai Mahal Palace by Diya Kumari, who reiterated Rajasthan’s ambition of becoming a world-class experiential tourism destination.
The event also saw the release of the EY-FICCI report, Reimagining Inbound Tourism in India: Towards Incredible India 4.0, which identified MICE, wellness, event tourism and women-centric travel as key growth areas. The report also recommended reducing GST on premium hotel stays from 18% to 9% and projected international visitor spending in India to reach $2.95 trillion by 2034.