Three main components make up inbound tourism in India: Arrivals of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), which include Indian citizens living abroad who temporarily return for family, cultural, or economic reasons; Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs), which refers to non-resident foreign nationals travelling to India for leisure, business, medical, or other reasons; and International Tourist Arrivals (ITAs), which is the sum of FTAs and NRI arrivals and represents the overall influx of foreign visitors into the nation. Together, these categories encompass the entire range of inbound tourism to India, indicating both the ongoing participation of its diaspora and interest in India as a travel destination worldwide.

Cultural interchange, foreign exchange revenues, and economic growth are all significantly influenced by inbound tourism. While NRI arrivals enhance cultural links and provide a substantial economic contribution to the country through spending and remittances, FTAs showcase India’s international appeal, medical tourism potential, and business opportunities. Monitoring ITAs offers a comprehensive assessment of foreign travel to India, assisting with policy creation, infrastructure planning, and tourist growth. Stakeholders can use this classification to diversify offerings to various visitor groups, spot trends, and improve marketing tactics. In the end, indices of inbound tourism show how India has assimilated into the world travel industry and how it has contributed to employment, sustainable development, and soft power diplomacy.