World Bank Chief Flags India's Tourism Dip, Compares The Decline With Global Cities
Ajay Banga, the World Bank President, compared tourist numbers among nations and the biggest cities in the world. The World Bank chief highlighted India’s tourism gap with other major cities, pointing out the country’s dip in foreign arrivals in recent years.
In a podcast on job strategies for places like India, Banga pointed out that while cities such as Paris have 64 million visitors and London at 65 million tourists, India’s total foreign arrivals recently dipped to 9 million due to regional issues.
The World Bank chief then observed tourism as a powerhouse for jobs from waitstaff to managers, outpacing other sectors. While its peers, like Thailand, attract 30 million visitors, India’s decline is mainly triggered by the lack of cleanliness, shortage of adequate infrastructure, and safety to match its counterparts.
Banga, however, praised booming domestic travel in spots like Goa. While New York City attracts 60 million tourists annually, entire India gets only 14 million, he pointed out, while highlighting the miserable gap in tourist arrivals in the country.
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“New York City gets 60 million tourists a year. The whole country of India gets just 14 million,” says World Bank President Ajay Banga pic.twitter.com/g3T4GsgBl3
— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) June 21, 2026
