The GNTB is intensifying its market development activities in India, a high-potential growth market

Dynamic growth from the fourth-largest overseas inbound market – above-average value added and length of stay – the GNTB India Digital Travel Knowledge Tour brings together decision-makers from the German and Indian travel industries

Frankfurt am Main, 29 September 2026 – India is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), ranks among the world’s eleven largest outbound travel markets in terms of international travel expenditure. Economic indicators point to continued dynamic growth: according to the World Bank, India’s gross domestic product is set to grow by 6.6 percent in the 2026/27 financial year and by 7.2 percent in the 2027/28 financial year. At the same time, according to MMGY, the annual holiday budgets planned by Indian outbound travellers are set to rise from 4,536 to 5,154 US dollars. To capitalise even more effectively on this considerable growth potential, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is further expanding its successful engagement in the Indian market.

Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the GNTB, explains: “With India’s economic development – which is accompanied by rising purchasing power, a willingness to spend and high travel intentions – we see excellent opportunities for German inbound tourism. Germany ranks third among European destinations for Indian visitors (after the UK and France) and offers high added value, not least due to the above-average length of stay of 10.1 nights. With the GNTB India Digital Travel Knowledge Tour, we are strengthening our links with the Indian travel industry in order to tap into economic potential even more effectively.”

The GNTB’s market development strategy already encompasses a strong network within the Indian travel industry and offers comprehensive marketing solutions that meet the needs of Indian tourists – particularly in the high-end segment and in terms of digital services. The focus is on two target groups: the premium segment, on the one hand, and the growing middle class – comprising millennials, Gen Z and families – on the other. Travel interests range from historical sights, culture and shopping to wedding and honeymoon tourism.

The programme is supported by the India Pool: the GNTB combines budgets with partners in the German tourism sector and strengthens their commitment so that, together, they can further boost brand presence on a large scale and combine active support for small and medium-sized enterprises with clear investments in the future.

Strong performance and excellent prospects for the source market of India

India is steadily strengthening its position as the fourth most important overseas market for German inbound tourism. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of international arrivals in Germany from India rose by 9.8 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year. According to IPK International, Indians spent a total of 1.3 billion euros on their trips to Germany, including travel costs. From January to July 2026, the Federal Statistical Office recorded a 9.1 percent increase in arrivals compared with the same period in 2025.

The GNTB’s long-term successful engagement in the Indian market

The GNTB recognised the potential of the Indian market at a very early stage and incorporated it into its marketing activities. As early as 2005, it opened a sales agency in India. In 2015, it established an India pool for the first time to effectively support the involvement of small and medium-sized partners in German tourism. Within five years (2015–2019), the number of overnight stays rose by almost 40 percent from 690,000 to 950,000.

India Digital Travel Knowledge Tour 2026

With a high-profile delegation trip to India from 4th to 10th October 2026, the DZT will provide accredited decision-makers in the German tourism sector with first-hand insights into current and future developments in the travel technology sector, as well as direct contacts with key local stakeholders and top managers in the Indian travel industry. The participants represent the following destinations and organisations: Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen GmbH, Tourismus Marketing Baden-Württemberg GmbH, WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen, Stuttgart Marketing GmbH, Tourismus und Congress GmbH Frankfurt am Main, Toskanaworld AG, Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen GmbH and Deutschland Museum Berlin GmbH.