Skift India Forum Highlights: Where CEOs See Growth – and the Biggest Challenges

While the inaugural Skift India Forum in 2024 focused on “celebrating India,” the focus this year was on the challenges.

“India is now a force domestically as well as outbound," Skift CEO and Founder Rafat Ali said Tuesday at the second edition of the Skift India Forum. "This year, along with seeing how that story has advanced, we will also be looking at the challenges, particularly inbound.”

“India is at the forefront of the global travel revolution, and our time has come. Our country is no longer an emerging player, it is a defining force shaping global travel trends, and we need to make the most of it,” said Anjali Mehra, the Advisor of PR Strategy and Media Relations at The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts.

Discussion with CEOs and industry leaders focused on six key themes: 

Outbound’s Rise: Is the world ready? Inbound needs a public/private boost The live tourism surge: Sports, concerts, religious travel, and experiences AI and apps takeover of travel booking: Is the connected trip finally coming? Sustainability: A critical balancing act Geopolitical threats: Economic slowdown and closed borders

Despite the domestic and outbound tourism boom, inbound tourism has been struggling in India. In 2023, about 9.5 million foreign tourists visited India, about 10% less than pre-Covid.

In 2002, India launched the ‘Incredible India’ marketing campaign to showcase the country’s tourism offerings, and a revamped version of it was launched in 2016-17. 

Dipak Deva, Managing Director and CEO of Travel Corporation India, said, “Incredible India 2.0 was a ve