Managing the Downturn

‘Incredible India’, known to attract millions of international travellers every year, recorded a slowdown for the past few months due to the global economic meltdown and several other issues. Travellers from both domestic and international markets are now opting for short haul destinations and are also spending less. In June this year, United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) predicted that the tourism industry would decline by four to six per cent overall this year but those figures were revised due to the recent swine flu scare. Despite facing a reduction in the global tourism numbers, the Indian Ministry of Tourism (MoT) along with travel suppliers are making efforts to push tourism and highlight India as the top destination for tourism. 

Arjun Sharma, Senior Vice President, IATO said, “The travel industry has been experiencing difficult times since last year. While the inbound segment has seen a significant effect because of the economic slowdown, the domestic market has not been badly affected. We’re bullish about the domestic market’s growth story in India.