With the announcement of the Union Budget 2025, the tourism and hospitality sector witnessed a new dawn of hope for tourism activities in India, specially for infrastructure development. Appreciating the budget, K Syama Raju, President, FHRAI, said, “The plan to develop the top 50 tourism destinations in partnership with state governments is a major initiative. This collaboration will not only improve infrastructure but also help spread tourism across the country, attracting more visitors and benefiting local communities. Additionally, the inclusion of hotels in the harmonious master list and the granting of infrastructure status to the hospitality sector is a significant move. This aligns with our long-standing request for granting of Infrastructure Status to the hospitality industry. This will facilitate access to cheaper, long-term financing, enabling hotels in these newly developed destinations to upgrade their facilities and offer world-class services, further boosting the sector.” He further added, “The focus on medical and wellness tourism through the ‘Heal-in-India’ initiative in the Union Budget 2025 is a forward-thinking move that will strengthen India’s position as a global leader in healthcare. India has already earned a reputation for providing world-class medical treatments at a fraction of the cost found in developed countries. By promoting ‘Heal-in-India,’ the government aims to further capitalise on this strength, attracting international patients seeking affordable, high-quality healthcare services. This initiative will not only boost medical and wellness tourism but will also create a platform for India’s healthcare industry to expand its global footprint. With the support of the government, healthcare facilities across the country will be encouraged to offer specialised treatments and services, making India an attractive destination for patients from both developed and developing nations.” He also highlighted, “The introduction …

Speaking during Kerala Tourism Partnership Meet 2025, P.A. Mohamed Riyas, Tourism Minister, Kerala, revealed that Kerala Tourism will showcase new summer holiday products before the domestic tourists targeting school holidays and families in their upcoming campaign. The focus will be on North Kerala, especially Bekal, Wayanad, and Kozhikode, besides lesser-known destinations with vastly improved infrastructure.

The Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi witnessed remarkable growth with the Emirate’s hotels welcoming 4.8 million guests and a 26 per cent increase in international guests year-to-date (YTD) as of October 2024. The international visitors were predominantly from 26 key source markets, including India, China, Russia, the UK, and Saudi Arabia.

Eraaya Lifespaces’ subsidiary, EbixCash, has delivered outstanding performance for the quarter ended December 2024, achieving a Gross Merchandise Value of ₹10,030 million, net revenue of ₹1,110 million, and a healthy EBITDA of ₹75 million. Mercury, encompassing corporate travel, MICE, luxury trains, and Swiss travel contributed ₹585 million in revenue.

As TAAI nears its 75th anniversary in 2026, celebrations began in January 2025 with the unveiling of a commemorative logo. Sunil Kumar, President, TAAI, emphasised that the next two years are going to be a runway for 2026, with the theme ‘connection, collaboration and celebration.’ He pointed out that TAAI will continue to expand committees and will focus on establishing a marketplace to enhance business network among members for collaboration.

According to Booking.com’s annual travel predictions 2025, unique and unexplored destinations are set to capture Indian travellers’ attention this year. It reveals that Gudauri & Tbilisi in Georgia, Gabala in Azerbaijan, and Tromsø in Norway are among the top trending international destinations for Indian travellers in 2025.

Thailand welcomed more than 35 million international tourists in 2024, surpassing the government’s target. India has contributed as the top 3 source markets in this tourist influx after China and Malaysia. Consequently, Thailand generated more than 1.6 trillion baht (US$46 billion) from tourist spending in 2024, according to Sorawong Thienthong, Tourism Minister, Thailand.

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh has announced ₹2415 crore for strengthening the tourism infrastructure in the state. He said that wellness centres would be developed at Nadaun in Hamirpur district, Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra district, Kullu and Manali in Kullu district with a total cost of ₹280.39 crore.

ICRA expects Indian hospitality industry’s revenue to grow by 7-9 per cent YoY in FY2025 and 6-8 per cent YoY in FY2026. It estimates pan-India premium hotel occupancy to improve to 72-74 per cent in FY2026 from 70-72 per cent in FY2025. The ARRs for premium hotels may rise to ₹7,800-8,000 for FY2025 (up 8 per cent YoY) and to ₹8,000-8,400 in FY2026.

Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI) has proposed to the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, to include tourism in the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) framework. It stated, “Such inclusion will ensure affordable credit, pave the way for sustainable development, and will catalyse investments, create jobs.”