Stories
India's Tourism Boom: Cruises Soar 328%, Lighthouses Transform, MICE Sector Targeted
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CNBC TV18•27-09-2026, 10:13
India's Tourism Boom: Cruises Soar 328%, Lighthouses Transform, MICE Sector Targeted
- •India's tourism sector is diversifying beyond traditional monuments, focusing on maritime travel, corporate conventions, and niche coastal infrastructure to alleviate congestion in heritage and religious circuits.
- •Sea cruise passenger volumes in India surged by 328% from 1.08 lakh in 2014–15 to 4.62 lakh in 2025–26, driven by terminal upgrades and streamlined immigration processes.
- •Historic lighthouses are being repurposed as public heritage sites with visitor amenities, and seven specialized maritime museums have opened to showcase colonial-era navigational hardware and coastal history.
- •India is aggressively targeting the global Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, aiming for a larger share of the projected $1.4 trillion market by 2030, utilizing mega-venues like Bharat Mandapam and Yashobhoomi.
- •Targeted funding through initiatives like Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and PRASHAD is shifting destination planning towards broader geographical corridors, supporting eco-tourism, spiritual travel, and infrastructure development, alongside formalizing homestays.
Key Questions Answered
Sea cruise passenger volumes in India grew from 1.08 lakh in 2014-15 to 4.62 lakh in 2025-26, marking an increase of 328% over the decade.
Port authorities introduced a QR-based electronic immigration protocol that reduced per-passenger border processing time to roughly 30 seconds. Additionally, paperless customs workflows and e-Group Visit Visas have been implemented to process incoming foreign cruise contingents.
Seven specialised maritime museums have been opened in locations including Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Alappuzha, Kannur, Muttom, Dwarka, and Gopnath to exhibit colonial-era navigational hardware and coastal historical records.
