New Delhi, July 14 -- India saw 9.23 million foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in 2023 - a significant increase from 6.44 million in 2022. While this number is still below the pre-pandemic peak of 10.93 million in 2019, it represents a strong recovery and a 48.6 per cent increase compared to 2022, the government said when the numbers were released in 2024.

The tourism sector is also a major contributor to India's economy, generating Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) of Rs.2.3 lakh crore in 2023, according to government figures.

Madan Prasad Bezbaruah, general secretary of, Hotel Association of India (HAI), the apex organization of the Indian Hospitality industry, spoke with LiveMint on challenges that Indian tourism faces and how the 100 mi...