New Delhi: India needs to seize the opportunity provided by the tourism sector that represents a relatively low-hanging fruit for job creation amid a challenging environment in services and manufacturing industries due to the rise of AI, protectionism and supply concerns, the Economic Survey said on Monday.

India’s tourism industry showed positive signs of revival post-pandemic and witnessed over 92 lakh foreign tourist arrivals in 2023, implying a YoY increase of 43.5 per cent, while the hospitality industry has risen to meet the increasing number of tourists’ needs by creating the highest amount of new supply in 2023 with the addition of 14,000 rooms, it noted.

Citing the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024 Report, the Economic Survey 2023-24 emphasised the need for improvements in tourist services .