India is shifting its international tourism promotion strategy after a steep drop in foreign visitor numbers and a near-total collapse in overseas marketing spending. The government has now turned to airlines to help carry the "Incredible India" message abroad, signing agreements with IndiGo and Air India.
The move comes as India’s tourism slowdown has deepened in 2025. Foreign arrivals fell 9.4% to 9 million, according to the figures cited, leaving the country still below pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, the government’s marketing budget for overseas promotion is described as having fallen by more than 99%, creating pressure to find lower-cost ways to reach travelers.
By partnering with the country’s major carriers, officials appear to be leaning on airlines’ international networks and customer reach instead of traditional destination marketing campaigns. The new arrangements suggest that route visibility, onboard branding and airline-led promotion could play a bigger role in how India presents itself to foreign tourists.
The broader question is whether airline partnerships can make up for the loss of direct tourism marketing at a time when India is trying to rebuild inbound travel demand. With visitor numbers still trailing earlier benchmarks, the shift to IndiGo and Air India marks a notable change in how the country is trying to revive global interest in visiting India.
