India’s tourism industry could grow into a $3-trillion pillar of the economy by 2047, contributing 10% to the projected $30-trillion GDP, according to the Federation of Associations in Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH). The group said the sector should create 20 crore jobs and rank among the world’s top five tourism markets.
The Ambitious Goals of Tourism Vision 2047
Addressing the media, Puneet Chhatwal, FAITH chairman and managing director and CEO of Indian Hotels Company, said tourism’s potential for job creation, both direct and indirect, was among the highest of any sector. “The unorganised sector is very important… from the shikaras in Dal Lake to the rickshaws at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, their livelihoods are equally important but often not counted,” he said. “Even today, 7-9% of all employment comes from this sector, and it is definitely going to hit double digits in the next few years.”
The strategy also calls for a sharp rise in domestic tourism, from almost 2 billion visits annually to 20 billion, alongside an increase in foreign exchange earnings from $30 billion to $400 billion. Meanwhile, foreign arrivals are targeted to reach 100 million annually, contributing to an estimated 200 million tourism-related jobs.
The Power of Unorganised Sector and Job Creation
These goals, set out in FAITH’s Tourism Vision 2047, are under discussion at the two-day FAITH Conclave 2025. FAITH, the country’s apex tourism policy and strategy body, brings together ten industry associations representing tour operators, hotels, adventure travel and transport, with the All India Resorts Development Authority as a cause partner.
Industry leaders stressed that achieving these ambitions would require tourism to become a core national priority. KB Kachru, president of the Hotel Association of India, said FAITH’s role was “to push all stakeholders to make tourism a national priority. Unless it’s a national priority, I don’t think we’ll achieve our objectives.”