An important contributor to the Indian economy for decades, the tourism sector was hit hard by the COVID pandemic and is now on a slow recovery.
Pilgrims bathe in the Ganges in Varanasi, 1965; Evening Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi, 2021 (Getty Images)
India’s tourism sector is replete with startling figures of slow post-independence and post-pandemic bustle. Once a prestige sector that caught the attention of statisticians, it saw significant upswing in the early phase of liberalisation, although the state also played a role, hiring marketing firm O&M to sell the global Incredible India brand.
As of 2019, the industry was contributing about $194 billion – about 7 percent of GDP – and employing 38 million people. The disruptions of Covid were particularly severe for the industry, and recovery has been slow and inevitable due to domestic travel, with several state governments promoting pilgrimage sites and PM announcing Dekho Apna Desh Abhiyan.
