India to Spend $474 Million to Develop Over 100 New Tourist Destinations
Photo Credit: Deodhar in Assam Pexels / Capricious Wayfarer (Saptarshi)
Skift Take
As India's inbound tourism struggles, the government is working to develop global tourist-ready destinations. But nobody seems to be focusing on marketing these locations.
The Indian government has approved the development of 116 new tourist destinations across India. These destinations will be developed at a total cost of nearly INR 41 billion ($474 million) in partnership with state governments.
Forty of the projects will focus on developing iconic tourist centers in the country, branding, and marketing them globally.
These include an adventure and eco-retreat in Arunachal Pradesh; a state zoo and botanical garden in Assam; an eco-tourism and adventure hub in Bihar; a film city in Chhattisgarh; and a tented city, a convention center in Gujarat, and more.
While these sites will be developed according to standards for global promotion, there is not much information on how these will be promoted. The international marketing budget was slashed 97% last year to just INR 30 million ($361,000), and this has not increased in this year’s budget either.
India has been struggling to lift its inbound tourism. In 2023, India had about 9.5 million foreign tourists, 90% of the pre-Covid figures. And in the first six months of 2024, India recorded just 4.8 million foreign arrivals.
Skift previously reported that cumbersome visa process and
