India's overseas tourism spend drops nearly 70% in 5 years; Foreign arrivals touch 205 lakh

The Indian government has sharply reduced spending on its Overseas Promotions and Publicity (OPP) scheme over the past five fiscal years, even as the country pursues ambitious plans to expand its tourism footprint.

Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told the Rajya Sabha that revised allocations for the overseas promotion program dropped from Rs 115 crore in fiscal year 2021 to Rs 89 crore in 2022. The figure fell further to Rs 60 crore in 2023, before rising to Rs 100 crore in 2024 and then plunging to Rs 33 crore in the current fiscal year.

Responding to a question from lawmaker Renuka Chowdhury, Shekhawat said the decline in OPP spending comes amid broader government initiatives intended to strengthen tourism through infrastructure upgrades rather than advertising alone. Under the Smart Cities Mission, he said, major urban centers are adopting technology-driven solutions to improve mobility, sanitation, governance, energy efficiency, and environmental management — interventions that officials say indirectly support tourism.

Additional efforts include the restoration and adaptive reuse of heritage structures, pedestrianisation of historic cores, and revitalisation of lakes, ghats and riverfronts. Programs to promote local art and culture are also underway.

Shekhawat noted that the Tourism Ministry continues to work with states and union territories to strengthen safety and security standards for visitors. These measures include a 24x7 multilingual tourist helpline, the nationwide adoption of the “Code of Conduct for Safe & Honourable Tourism,” and coordination with local authorities to deploy dedicated tourist police units.

Despite the cutbacks in overseas promotional spending, international tourist arrivals have grown. According to the minister, foreign arrivals rose from 179.13 lakh in 2019 to 205.69 lakh in 2024. In 2025 alone, 69.80 lakh foreign visitors were recorded through October 31.