New Delhi, Dec. 17 -- It is shaping up to be another difficult year for India's tourism industry. Foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) have struggled in the first nine months of the year and may once again fall short of pre-pandemic levels. The reasons are familiar-high costs compared with peer destinations, inadequate infrastructure, and lingering concerns around safety and security.

This year, however, additional factors have kept-or are expected to keep-foreign tourist numbers subdued. First, a sharp fall in arrivals from Bangladesh, a key source market, following political instability there. Second, the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, earlier this year. Third, disruptions in flight operations due to IndiGo cancellations during the ...