The UN officially declared India the world’s most populous country, surpassing China, which long held the status. While projections see the Chinese population dropping below 1 billion before 2100, India’s population is set to increase.

The world now looks to India’s influence as the country plans to spend more than $42 billion per year on outbound travel, according to a report by The Economic Times in India. India also allocates billions of dollars into expanding and improving its aviation industry, hoping to establish the country as a travel hub in the near future.

This year, the Indian government announced plans to spent almost $12 billion by 2025 on constructing and modernizing airports, including Noida International Airport, slated to be Asia’s largest airport and improve transportation to and from the Delhi-National Capital Region and Western Uttar Pradesh.

For the first time ever, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport made CNN’s top 10 list of the world’s busiest international airports this year. It’s estimated 59.5 million passengers went through the airport gates in 2022 alone.

The growing population and billions of dollars poured into the tourism sector will greatly benefit Indian tourists. According to Indian travel and booking website Agoda, Indians are traveling to a wider array of countries, spanning across Europe and Southeast Asia. In fact, Indian travel to Vietnam is anticipated to dramatically increase by at least 1,000 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

The United Nations World Travel Organization predicts Indian’s outbound tourism market to generate revenues of about $62 billion by 2026. While about 3.6 million Indians currently embark on international luxury trips, this number is expected to increase by nearly 9 percent each year.

The development of a middle class, increase in GDP, increased number of women making business trips, improvement of air connections and more than 300 million Internet users all contribute to India’s tourism growth. 

As India overtakes China as the world’s most populous country, a growing number of young Indian travelers will take advantage of increased connectivity with the rest of the world, as well. India’s young travelers are increasingly becoming global and seek international experiences to further connect them with the rest of the world.

Have you traveled to India before? What are your thoughts on this news? Are you excited to see India become a new travel hub in Asia? Tell us your thoughts. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.