The tourism authorities in Delhi are a tad unnerved by a new rising trend among international tourists. Yes, international leisure tourists appear to have begun avoiding Delhi (all metros, in fact) due to rising hotel rates. Even those who are coming are reducing their stay period, making their tour shorter than usual. There was a time when the average stay period for the European tourists in India used to be 17-20 days, which has now declined to 7-11 days.

The tourism industry may experience an overhaul in the forthcoming years, and the chinks in Delhi’s tourism armour are already evident. For example, a smart thinking Spanish group of travelers surprised the travel operators by traveling straight to Jaipur after landing in Delhi. They came back to Delhi only for sightseeing and went back again. Now this Spanish group may be a brave one but tourists at large would avoid a long drive to destinations like Jaipur after a tiring long flight and may decide to avoid the Indian part of their tour altogether. An average night’s stay in a decent hotel in Delhi costs Rs. 18,000, whereas tourists opting for other cities can stay there three nights for the same amount.

The Golden Triangle destinations - Delhi, Agra and Jaipur - are the most popular ones, which constitute 18% of the international tourists of the overall tourist numbers in India, have been the most affected by the steep hike in hotel rates in Delhi. Mumbai, considered a gateway to Gujarat (sometimes Kerala as well), is also witnessing similar tourist traffic trends. The trends are more visible among leisure tourists, since tourists pay their own bills while corporate travelers are paid for by their respective organizations. What is seen as a loss to the Indian tourism industry has benefited India’s competitors, like China and other South East Asian countries, as tourists prefer to visit these countries instead.