Overview

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a key meeting on May 20, 2025, to assess progress and challenges in India's tourism sector.
• Discussions included strategies to counter the decline in international arrivals following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
• The government is prioritizing the implementation of flagship tourism schemes, PRASAD and Swadesh Darshan, to rejuvenate the sector.
• Domestic tourism shows resilience, but foreign arrivals remain below pre-pandemic levels, with 9.5 million visitors post-COVID compared to 10.5 million in 2019.
• Geopolitical tensions and safety concerns, including fallout from India-Pakistan hostilities, have impacted both inbound and outbound travel patterns.