Introduction :-

The Indian tourism and hospitality industry have emerged as one of the key drivers of growth among the services sector in India. Tourism in India has significant potential considering the rich cultural and historical heritage, variety in ecology, terrains and places of natural beauty spread across the country. Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange in India similar to many other countries. The foreign exchange earnings from 2016 to 2019 grew at a CAGR of 7% but dipped in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In FY20, tourism sector in India accounted for 39 million jobs, which was 8.0% of the total employment in the country. By 2029, it is expected to account for about 53 million jobs.

According to WTTC, India ranked 10th among 185 countries in terms of travel & tourism’s total contribution to GDP in 2019. During 2019, contribution of travel & tourism to GDP was 6.8% of the total economy, ~ Rs. 13,68,100 crore (US$ 194.30 billion).

Market Size :- 

India is the most digitally advanced traveller nation in terms of digital tools being used for planning, booking, and experiencing a journey. India’s rising middle class and increasing disposable income has supported the growth of domestic and outbound tourism.

By 2028, Indian tourism and hospitality is expected to earn US$ 50.9 billion as visitor exports compared with US$ 28.9 billion in 2018.

The travel market in India is projected to reach US$ 125 billion by FY27 from an estimated US$ 75 billion in FY20.

The Indian airline travel market was estimated at ~US$ 20 billion and is projected to double in size by FY27 due to improving airport infrastructure and growing access to passports.

The Indian hotel market including domestic, inbound and outbound was estimated at ~US$ 32 billion in FY20 and is expected to reach ~US$ 52 billion by FY27, driven by the surging demand from travelers and sustained efforts of travel agents to boost the market.

During 2019, foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India stood at 10.93 million, achieving a growth rate of 3.5% y-o-y. During 2019, FEEs from tourism increased 4.8% y-o-y to Rs. 1,94,881 crore (US$ 29.96 billion). In 2019, arrivals through e-Tourist Visa increased by 23.6% y-o-y to 2.9 million. In 2020, FTAs decreased by 75.5% YoY to 2.68 million and arrivals through e-Tourist Visa (Jan-Nov) decreased by 67.2% YoY to 0.84 million. As of March 2021, the e-Tourist Visa facility was extended to citizens of 171 countries.

In April 2021, the percentage share of FTAs was highest from USA (26.85%), followed by Bangladesh (15.65%), Afghanistan (6.92%), UK (5.87%), Nepal (4.59%), Canada (4.27%), Iraq (2.99%), Portugal (2.40%), Germany (1.42%), Russian Fed (1.41%) Maldives (1.39%), France (1.33%), Sudan (1.21%), Korea (Rep.) (1.18%), and Australia (1.02%).

In April 2021, the percentage share of FTAs in India was highest at Bengaluru Airport (29.96%), followed by Mumbai Airport (17.48%), Ahmedabad Airport (15.72%), Delhi Airport (9.21%), Cochin Airport (4.91%), Chennai Airport (4.04%), Hyderabad Airport (3.34%), Lucknow Airport (2.40%), Bhavnagar Seaport (2.37%), Kolkata Airport (2.11%), Calicut Airport (1.41%), Amritsar Airport (1.35%), Kakinada Seaport (1.32%), Dabolim (Goa) (0.91%), Mangalore Airport (0.72%).

Between January 2021 and April 2021, FTAs was 376,083 as compared with 2.35 million between January 2020 and April 2020, registering a negative growth of -84.0% Y-o-Y due to COVID-19.

By 2028, international tourist arrivals are expected to reach 30.5 billion and generate revenue over US$ 59 billion. However, domestic tourists are expected to drive the growth, post pandemic.

International hotel chains are increasing their presence in the country, and it will account for around 47% share in the tourism and hospitality sector of India by 2020 and 50% by 2022.

As per the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), in FY21, the Indian hotel industry has taken a hit of >Rs. 1.30 lakh crore (US$ 17.81 billion) in revenue due to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation selected Pochampally in Telangana as one of the best tourism villages in November 2021.

Investments :- 

India was globally the third largest in terms of investment in travel and tourism with an inflow of US$ 45.7 billion in 2018, accounting for 5.9% of the total investment in the country.

The hotel & tourism sector received cumulative FDI inflow of US$ 15.89 billion between April 2000 and June 2021.

Indian government has estimated that India would emerge with a market size of 1.2 million cruise visitors by 2030-31. Dream Hotel Group plans to invest around US$300 million in the next 3-5 years for the development of the cruise sector in India.

Achievements :- 

Following are the achievements of the Government during 2019-20:

• During 2019-20, an additional fund Rs. 1,854.67 crore (US$ 269.22 million) was sanctioned for new projects under the Swadesh Darshan scheme.
• Ministry of Tourism sanctioned 18 projects covering all the North Eastern States for Rs. 1,456 crore (US$ 211.35 million) to develop and promote of tourism in the region under Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes.
• Statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as ‘State of Unity’, was inaugurated in October 2018 and the total revenue generated till November 2019 stood at Rs. 82.51 crore (US$ 11.81 million).

Management :-

Hospitality and tourism management is a vast industry with many different career paths. Students seeking a degree in hospitality and tourism management at Saunders College of Business are prepared to enter nearly any segment of the industry, such as lodging, hotels, restaurants, casino, cruise line operations, resorts and spas, event management, or airline catering. Students are provided the knowledge and competences needed to successfully manage a restaurant, hotel, or an independently-owned hospitality or tourism business.

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