Parliament Question: Impact of conflict on tourism sector

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.416 ANSWERED ON 02.04.2026 IMPACT OF CONFLICT ON TOURISM SECTOR 416 SMT. JEBI MATHER HISHAM: Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state: (a) whether Government has assessed the impact of Iran-Israel conflict on India's outbound tourism, including 50 per cent drop in international bookings this vacation season; (b) whether the extent of flight disruptions, Europe route re-routing and ATF cost hikes have been examined; (c) the details of Indian tourist cancellations made during the current vacation season; (d) whether there is any proposal to mitigate economic losses to travel agencies, airlines and hospitality sector; and (e) whether advisories have been issued to counter fears of international tourists? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT) (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *******STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.416 ANSWERED ON 02.04.2026 REGARDING IMPACT OF CONFLICT ON TOURISM SECTOR RAISED BY SMT. JEBI MATHER HISHAM (a) to (c): The current round of the Iran-Israel conflict began on 28 February 2026 and the situation continues to evolve. According to information received from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Indian operators had cancelled 8,359 flights up to 29 March 2026 due to airspace restrictions, operational constraints and reduced demand arising from the ongoing situation. Furthermore, an increasing trend has been observed in both Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) and Indian National Departures (INDs) in January and February 2026 compared to the same months of the previous year. (d): Development and promotion of tourism, including the mitigation of economic losses for private stakeholders including hospitality sector, is primarily the responsibility of the respective State Government/Union Territory Administration. However, at present, there is no such specific proposal under consideration to provide a specific financial package to travel agencies or airlines on account of the Iran-Israel conflict. (e): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have been issuing travel and safety advisories from time to time, advising Indian nationals to exercise caution and avoid non-essential travel to sensitive regions. ********