INTERNATIONAL TOURIST ARRIVALS

• International Tourist Arrivals (ITAs) = Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) + Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) entering India; tracked by the Bureau of Immigration, MHA and reported by the Ministry of Tourism.
• A core indicator of India's services-export performance, soft power, and employment in hospitality; directly relevant to GS-III (economy, services sector) and GS-II (international relations/soft diplomacy).
• 2024 ITAs surpassed pre-pandemic levels; 2025 has shown a mild contraction, reopening policy debate on global competitiveness.