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India's Tourism Boom Spreads Beyond Mumbai, Delhi to Goa, Rishikesh

A new report indicates India's inbound tourism is diversifying beyond major metropolitan hubs like Mumbai and Bengaluru. Destinations such as Goa, Rishikesh, and Amritsar are gaining a larger share of tourism transactions. This shift is driven by supportive policies, demographics, and digital adoption, strengthening local economies. Tourism is emerging as a critical growth lever for South Asia, with India at the forefront of this regional expansion.

Key Points: India Inbound Tourism Shifts Beyond Metro Hubs: Report

  • Delhi gains tourism transaction share
  • Mumbai, Bengaluru see declines
  • Leisure spots like Goa, Rishikesh rise
  • Policy and digitalization drive regional growth
3 min read

India's inbound tourism shifts beyond traditional urban hubs on policy, digital push: Report

Mastercard report shows India's inbound tourism expanding to Goa, Rishikesh, Amritsar, boosting regional economies beyond traditional urban centers.

"Inbound tourism is expanding beyond the traditional hubs India... Tourism is growing beyond traditional urban centers - Mastercard Economics Institute report"

New Delhi, January 7

Inbound tourism in India is increasingly moving beyond traditional metropolitan hubs, reflecting a broader shift in travel patterns and regional growth, according to a report by the Mastercard Economics Institute.

The report highlighted that tourism, supported by policy measures, favourable demographics and rapid digitalisation, is emerging as a critical growth lever for South Asia, with India playing a key role in this trend.

The report stated, "Inbound tourism is expanding beyond the traditional hubs India... Tourism is growing beyond traditional urban centers".

Inbound tourism refers to visitors traveling into a country from abroad for purposes like leisure, business, or personal reasons, rather than for permanent work, making them non-residents in the destination country.

The report noted that tourism is not only supporting overall economic activity but is also enhancing external stability while providing a boost to small businesses, local communities and domestic consumption.

The report emphasised that tourism is becoming an increasingly important driver of growth for India and the broader South Asian region. With supportive policies, a young demographic profile and growing digital adoption, tourism is helping diversify economic activity beyond major cities.

In India, this expansion is evident in the changing city-wise share of total tourism transactions between 2019 and 2025, indicating that travellers are increasingly exploring destinations beyond the established urban centres.

As per the report data, Delhi has seen an increase of 1.5 percentage points in its share of total transactions in 2025 compared to 2019, making it one of the strongest gainers.

In contrast, traditional hubs such as Mumbai and Bengaluru have witnessed a decline in their transaction share by 0.6 percentage points and 1.0 percentage point, respectively. Chennai also saw a marginal decline of 0.2 percentage points during the same period.

At the same time, several leisure and cultural destinations have recorded gains, highlighting the shift in tourist preferences. Goa registered an increase of 0.6 percentage points, highlighting the continued appeal of its beach destinations.

Rishikesh also recorded a rise of 0.6 percentage points, reflecting growing interest in wellness and spiritual tourism. Amritsar saw an increase of 0.3 percentage points, supported by strong inflows to religious and cultural sites, including the Golden Temple.

Other destinations also posted modest gains. Hyderabad's share increased by 0.1 percentage point, while Munnar recorded a rise of 0.2 percentage points. Ranthambore also saw an increase of 0.1 percentage point, indicating steady interest in nature and wildlife tourism.

Thrissur remained largely stable with no change, while cities such as Jaipur, Agra and Udaipur witnessed marginal declines of 0.3 percentage points, 0.1 percentage points and 0.2 percentage points, respectively.

The report also shared that the expansion of inbound tourism into smaller cities and non-traditional destinations is also strengthening local economies, supporting small enterprises and generating wider consumption-led growth across regions.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
As someone from a smaller city, I welcome this shift. When tourists come to places like Munnar or Ranthambore, it creates jobs for guides, homestays, local artisans, and taxi drivers. This decentralized growth is much more sustainable than overcrowding a few metros. Hope the infrastructure keeps pace!
D
David E
Interesting data. I visited India last year and specifically avoided the big cities. Spent time in Goa and did a yoga retreat near Rishikesh. The experience was incredible and felt more "authentic". The report confirms a trend I've noticed among fellow travelers.
A
Aman W
Good to see Delhi gaining share. It's the perfect gateway to the north - you can fly into Delhi and then easily travel to mountains, spiritual sites, and historical places. But we must be careful. With more tourists, our heritage sites need better protection and management. Can't let them get ruined.
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Shreya B
While the policy push is good, the report shows a marginal decline for places like Jaipur and Agra. That's a bit worrying. These are iconic destinations. We need to ensure that promoting new places doesn't mean neglecting the maintenance and visitor experience at our world-famous monuments.
K
Karthik V
Digitalisation is the real game-changer. From UPI for small purchases to apps for booking trains and local experiences, it's so much easier for foreigners to navigate India now. This definitely encourages them to venture beyond the standard tourist trail. More power to our tech stack!

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