TBM Staff - Mumbai
India experienced a record-high cruise tourism footfall of 470,000 during the 2023-24 fiscal year, with nearly 80% attributed to domestic tourists. In comparison, in 2019-20, international and domestic tourists were roughly equal out of a total of 420,000 cruise passengers. Despite efforts to revive international tourism, there has been a significant surge in the popularity of cruises among domestic travellers, marking an 85% increase since 2019-20. Indian tourists also play a pivotal role in the cruise industry of countries like Singapore, while Abu Dhabi is actively courting Indian visitors for its cruise offerings.
To further bolster cruise tourism, India aims to attract 4 million cruise tourists by 2041, up from approximately 300,000 in 2023. A draft national strategy for tourism has been formulated to position India as a premier cruising destination, spanning deep sea, coastal, river, and yacht cruises. Presently, cruise lines such as Cordelia Cruises and Costa Cruise operate domestic cruises in the Arabian Sea, with the government investing INR 450 billion (USD 5.4 billion) to develop river cruise tourism.
