India Ranks 8th in WTTC Global Tourism Economy List 2024 25 USA Tops the Chart.
International
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) released its 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) in April 2025 in collaboration with Oxford Economics, ranking 184 countries by travel and tourism’s share of GDP. India climbed to 8th position, contributing US $231.6 billion, while the United States continued to lead with US $2.36 trillion, underscoring America’s dominant role in global tourism.
- Despite its solid global ranking, India’s domestic tourism remains its strength: in 2024, domestic visitor spending reached a record ₹15.5 trillion (US $185.6 billion), 22 % higher than in 2019, while international visitor spending hit ₹3.1 trillion (US $36.8 billion), exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 9 %. A total of 20 million international tourists visited India — 2.3 million more than in 2019.
Main Point :- (i) Overall, India’s Travel & Tourism sector contributed approximately ₹20.9 trillion (US $249 billion) to the national GDP in 2024, supporting 46.5 million jobs, or 9.1 % of total employment. The WTTC forecasts this will rise to ₹22.5 trillion (US $268.7 billion) and 48 million jobs in 2025.
(ii) By 2035, the sector is expected to nearly double, reaching ₹41.9 trillion (US $501 billion) and supporting 63.9 million jobs, driven largely by domestic spending growth.
(iii) Looking forward, the WTTC projects international visitor spending in India will grow to ₹3.2 trillion in 2025, and domestic spending to ₹16 trillion, with a further surge expected by 2035 (₹32.7 trillion domestic and ₹4.6 trillion international). Given these trends, India is forecast to rise to the 4th spot globally by 2035. WTTC emphasises the need for continued investment in tourism infrastructure, streamlined e-visa systems, and sustained overseas marketing support to fully leverage this growth potential.
About the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)
President & CEO : Julia Simpson
Headquarters : London (UK)
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