Advocating for reforms to strengthen India's tourism sector, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called for policy changes, improved infrastructure and easier regulations to make the country a more competitive global destination, while maintaining that tourism promotion is often more effectively handled by the private sector than by government agencies.
Speaking during a fireside chat with members of the Indian diaspora in Thailand, Tharoor said India remains a relatively expensive destination despite having a lower per capita income than Thailand.
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While equating the tourist flow in both countries, Tharoor said, India recorded 9.95 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2024, compared with Thailand's more than 35.5 million international visitors.
"Thailand is historically much cheaper to visit for a tourist than India is. And that's a bit ironic because in many ways your per capita income is higher than ours. So we should actually be cheaper than you," he said.
Shashi Tharoor: Bangkok gets more tourists in one month than the whole of India gets in one year. Thailand is much cheaper to visit than India, which is ironic since Thailand's per capita income is higher than India's pic.twitter.com/66IopezjiJ
— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) June 10, 2026
Tharoor attributed part of the problem to structural constraints in the hospitality sector, including floor space regulations that raise hotel construction costs and, in turn, room tariffs.
"I've written articles advocating some changes that would make hotel rooms more affordable than they are right now," he said, adding that existing floor space index norms limit optimal land utilisation.
While acknowledging the government's role in improving infrastructure and creating a supportive policy environment, Tharoor questioned its effectiveness in marketing tourism.
"The truth is, bureaucrats are not great at this stuff," he said, while praising former bureaucrat Amitabh Kant for conceptualising the successful Incredible India campaign.
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According to Tharoor, tourism promotion should be driven largely by tour operators and private-sector stakeholders, while governments should focus on sanitation, waste management, infrastructure and tax incentives.
Highlighting India's tourism gap, he noted that "Bangkok gets in one month more tourists than the whole of India gets in a year."
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