Domestic tourism is climbing fast
CBRE data cited by industry posts says India’s domestic visits rose about 40% year‑on‑year to roughly 4.1 billion in 2025 and the hospitality pipeline targets 70,000+ new keys by FY30. (x.com)
India’s domestic travel boom is now big enough to reshape the hotel market, with CBRE saying visits jumped to about 4.1 billion in 2025. (hospitality.economictimes.indiatimes.com) CBRE South Asia said domestic tourist visits rose 40% year over year in 2025, and listed hotel operators plan to add more than 70,000 rooms, or “keys,” by 2030. The same report said hotel deal value in India grew 2.5 times year over year in 2025 to about $456 million. (hospitality.economictimes.indiatimes.com) Official government data shows the base was already large before that surge. India recorded 29,481.91 lakh domestic tourist visits in 2024, equal to about 2.95 billion trips, according to a December 11, 2025 Press Information Bureau release citing state and union territory tourism departments. (pib.gov.in) The recovery also extends beyond domestic travel. India logged 99.52 lakh foreign tourist arrivals in 2024, up from 95.20 lakh in 2023, while Indian residents made 3,08,85,048 outbound trips in 2024, according to government data released in 2025. (pib.gov.in 1) (pib.gov.in 2) New supply is spreading beyond Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. CBRE said tier-2 and tier-3 cities are seeing stronger hotel demand as business activity expands and a larger middle class spends more on travel. (cbre.co.in) New Delhi has also put more policy weight behind tourism. The Union Budget 2025-26 allocated ₹2,541.06 crore for tourism and identified 50 destinations for development with states, alongside support for homestays, hospitality skills and easier travel access. (pib.gov.in 1) (pib.gov.in 2) Industry researchers expect the expansion to keep running for several years. CBRE said India’s hospitality market could rise from about $24.6 billion in 2024 to about $31 billion by 2029, while the India Brand Equity Foundation says sector revenue could exceed $59 billion by 2028. (hospitality.economictimes.indiatimes.com) (ibef.org) The immediate test is whether hotel construction keeps pace with the travel numbers. If the pipeline lands on schedule, India’s next tourism story may be less about recovery and more about where the next 70,000 rooms get built. (hospitality.economictimes.indiatimes.com)
