The Ministry of Tourism on Monday, February 9, informed the Parliament that foreign tourist arrivals in India dropped in the January-October period of 2025.
Government figures show foreign tourist arrivals declined from 79.17 lakh in January-October 2024 to 69.8 lakh in January–October 2025.
Officials highlighted that the arrival of foreign tourists depends on a complex mix of factors, including ease of visa norms, safety and security perceptions, promotional and marketing efforts, the global foreign policy environment, as well as affordability of travel costs and favourable exchange rates.
While a depreciation of the Indian rupee can make travel more economical for visitors, the ministry cautioned that it is only one of many factors influencing foreign tourist numbers.
The ministry’s data show that foreign tourist arrivals in 2024 reached nearly 9.95 million.
More recently, the Modi government has placed considerable importance to the tourism industry in Budget 2026–27, calling it a key driver of growth.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman underscored that tourism has “the potential to play a large role in employment generation, foreign exchange earnings and expanding the local economy,” and outlined a slew of measures to make the sector more competitive.
These include the upgrading the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology into a National Institute of Hospitality, a pilot programme to upskill 10,000 tourist guides at major destinations, and the creation of adventure and eco-tourism trails across the Himalayas and other regions.
