July 30, 2025: India has risen to third place on The Telegraph UK's list of the most desirable destinations to visit in 2025, just behind New Zealand and Japan, thanks to its growing tourism industry. Chartered Accountant Sarthak Ahuja’s viral LinkedIn post points to a broader boom in India’s hospitality space and changing travel habits.
top destinations worldwide “Do you know which three countries will be the most popular places to travel in 2025?... In the top three most desirable nations to visit... No.1 is New Zealand No.2 is Japan And No.3 is... India!” reports Ahuja, citing this year’s Telegraph Travel Awards.
He adds that the top cities globally are “Cape Town, Seville, and Sydney,” and the hotel rankings feature two Indian properties:
#1 as Oberoi
#2 as the Louis Vuitton group's Belmond Hotels Taj is number three! Overindulgence in hospitality: “IHCL that operates the Taj Hotels has opened 50 properties since January 2024... and is planning to get to 700 hotels from the current 350 by 2030,” states India's hotel industry. The French Accor group intends to triple in the same time period, opening 300 hotels. Domestic travel is in high demand as GDP per capita approaches 3,000 USD. The number of branded hotel rooms in India currently exceeds that of the United Arab Emirates, which has less than one percent of India's population. Destination weddings are turning Siliguri into a hotspot:
Ahuja provides firsthand perspective: "I was in Siliguri this weekend and was surprised to see that the biggest hotel chains are now opening there because it is turning into a destination wedding location for people from Bihar and Bengal... with Mayfair already operational, and the likes of Taj, ITC, and Hyatt planning on opening because people are spending Rs 1 crore in this belt on weddings and there are literally not enough properties with 100 rooms," Ahuja says. "I was in Siliguri this weekend and was surprised He concludes that it’s “such an opportune time for people to run AirBnBs, or boutique hotel properties in India... because as the rich start traveling overseas once every year... they take at least 3 other short domestic trips in the same year.”
The significance of India's tourism outlook: India is experiencing a travel boom: Rising per-capita income is driving both domestic and international travel. Hospitality is expanding quickly, with major chains aggressively expanding to meet rising demand. Tier-2 boom: Siliguri and other new wedding and travel centers are attracting national chains. Growth in boutique property rentals and short-term stays is an entrepreneurial opportunity.