Why India’s Tourism Potential Remains Untapped for International Travelers
Per Skift's reporting from the World Leaders Forum, Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano made the case that India's tourism gap isn't about too many visitors — it's about too few who know where to go.
The chain is pushing toward 100 Indian cities, but roughly 70% of its India demand comes from domestic travelers. That ratio should embarrass every tourism board in the country.
The Math of Obscurity
India drew roughly 9 million foreign tourists in 2025, down 9.4% year-over-year and still below pre-pandemic levels. The country's share of global arrivals: 1.4%. For a subcontinent offering Himalayan treks, Kerala backwaters, Rajasthani forts, and arguably the world's most diverse culinary map, that's not a marketing gap — it's a canyon.
Capuano was blunt. Most international travelers, he argued, only know two or three Indian cities. His prescription, delivered on stage: "India has to tell its story better."
What This Means for Your Route
Here's the upside for foreign visitors: the Golden Triangle isn't the only game in town, and Capuano's domestic-demand math proves it. If Indians drive most of Marriott's bookings, domestic travelers have already mapped the high-yield picks — Mysore, Madurai, Ahmedabad, Shillong — that the international market still ignores.
For foreign tourists, that translates into thinner crowds, sharper boutique-standard properties, and rates that haven't been bid up by overseas demand. Heritage havelis in Bikaner, design hotels in Hyderabad, and coffee-estate retreats in Coorg are high-yield precisely because the foreign tourist hasn't found them yet. The two or three cities most foreigners know aren't the benchmark — they're the starting line.
The Self-Inflicted Wound
India has slashed overseas tourism marketing spending, a budget cut that goes a long way toward explaining the 9.4% slide. Capuano called for public-private partnership to fix the storytelling. Translation for anyone booking a trip: until someone funds that narrative, treat India's obscurity as an advantage. Skip the overrated circuit, pay what domestic travelers pay, and build an itinerary that international guidebooks haven't caught up to yet.