Speaking at the Skal India National Congress 2025 on September 13, he said, “We have a lot of things to do. Tourism is very important. This gives employment to the people. It will increase revenue for the government. We need to improve our infrastructure,” ANI reported.
Tharoor emphasised the need for better facilities, stronger safety measures for women tourists, and a greater number of mid-range hotels to balance the current gap between high-end and poor-quality accommodations.
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“Our nation has an image that India is not safe for women. We need to change this image. We have to do something about it. More women police officers must be deployed in tourist areas… We either have high-end 5-star hotels or extremely poor quality; there is nothing in between. We need to construct a lot,” he stressed.
The Congress leader’s remarks come at a time when India’s tourism and hospitality sector is projected to witness record expansion. A report by IDBI Capital estimated the industry could reach nearly $60 billion by 2028, fuelled primarily by a surge in domestic travel. The number of domestic visitors is expected to rise from 2.5 billion in 2024 to 5.2 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 13.4 per cent.
The report also highlighted that spending by both domestic and international travellers is likely to almost triple to ₹33.95 trillion by 2034, as better connectivity through air, road, and rail networks drives further growth. The World Travel & Tourism Council echoed this outlook, projecting robust demand supported by increasing corporate travel, meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions.
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(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)
