India is rapidly emerging as one of the world’s most powerful travel and tourism economies, and the global industry is taking notice. As reported by The Week on October 24, 2026, India’s travel and tourism sector contributed a remarkable $263.6 billion to the national economy in 2025, supporting over 46.2 million jobs — more than one in every ten positions across the country. Growth projections for 2026 are equally striking, with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasting an 8.5% expansion, pushing the sector’s contribution to $286.1 billion.
Fueling this remarkable story is India’s colossal domestic tourism market. Domestic visitor spending reached $203 billion in 2025, accounting for a dominant 86% of all travel and tourism expenditure in the country. By 2036, WTTC projects India will climb from the world’s 10th-largest to its 4th-largest travel economy, reaching an estimated $527 billion — nearly double today’s figures.
To capitalize on this momentum, New Delhi has been selected — beating out 20 rival bidding cities — to host the prestigious WTTC Global Summit in 2027, the first time the summit has returned to India in 21 years. The event will bring together the world’s leading travel and tourism CEOs and government leaders, providing a major global platform to showcase India’s tourism potential. The remaining challenge, however, is converting domestic success into international arrivals, which dropped 9% last year.
Source: The Week India — Can India Turn Its Domestic Tourism Boom Into a Global Opportunity?