India’s Inbound Problem: With Its Marketing Budget Gutted, Government Enlists Air India and IndiGo

India is turning to its two biggest airlines to help bring more international tourists to the country after foreign visitor numbers fell for the second straight year. The Ministry of Tourism on Thursday signed a partnership agreement with IndiGo to drive international tourism into India through an “Incredible India by IndiGo” initiative. The deal comes three days after a similar partnership with Air India to “jointly promote India as a premier global tourism destination and strengthen India’s position as a key aviation and transit hub.” The airlines will use their international networks, inflight entertainment, digital platforms, and overseas marketing events to encourage more travelers to visit India. The partnerships are among the government’s biggest tourism marketing initiatives in recent years and come as India continues to struggle to recover its inbound tourism market after the pandemic. What IndiGo and Air I