Since the pandemic, there have been innumerable instances of overtourism around the globe. Increased demand to see the world has caused air fares to surge and anti-visitor protests to mushroom. But a handful of destinations have escaped the international post-Covid crowds – among them, India, where international arrivals were down almost 10 per cent compared with pre-pandemic levels in the period between January and June 2024.
It’s a country that should see more global visitors than it does. In 2024, India came ninth and sixth respectively in the cultural and natural resources categories of the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index, but it only placed 39th overall – behind unlikely tourist destinations…
