THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Hotel Association of India (HAI) has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call urging Indians to prefer domestic destinations over overseas locations for leisure, conferences, events and weddings, saying the move could also create fresh opportunities to strengthen inbound tourism and boost foreign exchange earnings.
In a press release issued here, HAL said the initiative comes at a time when geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts are reshaping global travel patterns, positioning India as a stable and culturally diverse destination for international travellers.
According to HAI, increased domestic travel demand is expected to accelerate investments in tourism infrastructure, including hotels, resorts, wellness retreats, convention centres, cruises and heritage destinations.
The association said such expansion, backed by targeted international marketing, could significantly improve India’s appeal across leisure, business, medical, wellness, spiritual and MICE tourism segments.
HAI president, K B Kachru, said inbound tourism would emerge as one of the key growth drivers of India’s hospitality sector in the coming years. “As India attracts more international travellers across leisure, business, medical, spiritual and cultural segments, the sector must respond with scale, quality and world-class infrastructure,” he said.
He also noted that the prevailing geopolitical climate presents a unique opportunity for India to position itself as a preferred tourism hub for global travellers seeking stable and experience-driven destinations.
The association also stressed the need for greater foreign investment in hospitality infrastructure, stating that long-term capital and global expertise would be essential for developing hotels, resorts, convention centres and allied facilities. “Every new hotel project unlocks investment in construction, logistics, talent, technology and supply chains, while creating durable employment across urban and rural India,” he said.
HAI estimated that a sustained push on inbound tourism could raise India’s tourism-related foreign exchange earnings by an additional 25-30 per cent in the coming years.