Sridhar Keppurengan, Senior Director & Head of Cross Border payments, India & South Asia at Visa, emphasised initiatives like expanding e-visa systems, promoting curated travel experiences, and integrating tap-to-pay options that can help drive inbound tourism growth. Sridhar also shared insights on Visa’s campaigns with platforms like TripAdvisor, which are already capturing millions of eyes worldwide and a soon to be launched new initiative focused on food and dining to lure the tourists. Read here for detailed insights.
In recent years, India has witnessed a surge in outbound tourism, with more Indians travelling than ever before. Post-pandemic, Indian travellers have emerged as one of the largest groups eager to explore international destinations. Fuelled by a growing middle class, increased disposable income, and a desire for unique experiences, Indian tourists are not just venturing abroad more frequently but are also spending significantly on travel.
Sridhar Keppurengan, Senior Director & Head of Cross Border payments, India & South Asia at Visa, couldn’t agree more. He provided data-backed insights on global travel trends, shifting traveller motivations, growth drivers for inbound tourism in India, the spending patterns, and role of digital solutions in tourism growth.
“Globally, tourism has been on a steady rise, and post-Covid, we’ve seen a notable shift. According to a report, international outbound travellers globally will rise from 892 million in 2023 to 1.48 billion in 2030. People have undergone a values reset, prioritising experiences over material goods. At Visa, which is one of the largest global payment networks, we’ve observed this shift firsthand. We have around 4.1 billion credential holders globally, and we operate in over 200 countries. Payments, often described as the ultimate truth, show us clear insights into consumer behaviour—what people spend on, not just what they express interest in,” he said, adding that this shift has been apparent in the increased spending seen across global tourism markets.
Although transaction numbers may not be growing at the same rate, Sridhar pointed out that people are willing to spend more on their travels and Indians are an example worth mentioning.
There are several reports that suggest India is emerging as a key player in outbound tourism post-pandemic. According to a Visa and Euromonitor study, Indians were the number one group across Asia expressing a strong desire to travel abroad following the pandemic. “Indians are now really big travellers and have also started becoming big spenders abroad,” Sridhar explained. This trend highlights India’s growing outbound tourism market, but it also raises questions about how to retain more of this spending within the country.
Levelling up the inbound tourism game
To strengthen inbound tourism, Sridhar outlined several key drivers that need to be leveraged—demand, products, access and enablers.
Besides offering the traditional range of products and ease of access, Sridhar feels that there needs to be a greater focus on storytelling and offering a range of immersive experiences tailored to the diverse needs of international tourists.
“There’s significant demand for guided tours, museums, cultural sites, national parks, and luxury hotels, all which India can offer in abundance. To boost inbound tourism, several factors come into play. We need to drive demand through awareness, storytelling, and catering to different traveller preferences—whether it’s beaches, shopping, or food. We also need to provide the right infrastructure, including immersive experiences, hotel capacity, and top-tier dining options,” he explained, during his presentation.
One significant opportunity identified by Visa’s research is around rail transport. Sridhar highlighted the potential for India to capitalise on its world-class rail infrastructure like the Vande Bharat trains and iconic train journeys such as the Deccan Odyssey and Palace on Wheels. He observed that the international tourists love to move from point A to point B in a reliable and comfortable space, and its important that their cards are accepted widely to facilitate this
Another area with untapped potential is medical tourism. “India’s ability to provide superior medical care quickly is a key differentiator,” added Sridhar sharing an anecdote about an NRI couple who were amazed by the speed of medical services in India compared to the U.S., where long wait times up till 3 months are common. “Imagine if every American knew this story,” he reiterated, highlighting the opportunity for India to promote its medical tourism capabilities more effectively on a global stage.
Sustainability and travel insurance he said are some other key enablers of inbound tourism growth into India.
Age of hyper-personalisation
Touching on traveller motivations for visiting India, Sridhar showed that local cultural experiences, leisure pursuits, and the desire to escape and relax are primary drivers. “Tourists love engaging in authentic experiences, whether it’s pottery-making or exploring India’s rich cultural heritage. We’re working closely with tourism boards in India and globally to gather insights and analytics that help refine marketing strategies and better cater to visitor preferences.”
Through visitor profiling, merchant preferences, and benchmarking, Visa helps tourism stakeholders understand what travellers from different regions are seeking. For example, while tourists from countries like India and China spend a lot on retail, visitors from places like France prioritise food and dining. “This is the age of hyper-personalisation,” he stressed, pointing out that different regions and demographics have unique spending patterns and motivations.
Simplifying travel through technology and payments
E-visas and streamlined payment processes are critical to boosting tourism growth, according to Sridhar. He mentioned that countries like Vietnam have seen a “600 percent” growth in tourism, thanks to simplified e-visa processes. He emphasised that Indian travellers are typically last-minute planners who seek frictionless experiences, noting that reducing barriers to travel is essential not only for outbound but also for inbound tourism.
“In terms of enablers, digitalisation and hassle-free payments are areas where Visa is heavily focused. We are committed to simplifying travel payments and making transactions seamless, while also enhancing digital connectivity and sustainability.”
In terms of digital marketing and to drive the inbound tourism demand, Visa has been running campaigns in collaboration with platforms like TripAdvisor to promote India globally, targeting markets like the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. The campaign saw over 4 million impressions and a 6% click-through rate, one of the highest in the industry.
Moreover, Visa recently signed an MoU with the Tourism and Hospitality Skills Council (THSC) to skill 20,000 Indian youth on digital savvy, tourism-relevant skills and guided tours. This initiative is aimed at enhancing the country’s capacity to deliver high-quality tourism experiences that meet international standards.
The Future: Personalisation & Digital Payments
Visa is also going to launch a new initiative focused on food and dining, offering curated hotel and restaurant experiences across India. “We want to reassure international tourists that when they visit, everything will be taken care of, from world-class dining experiences, featuring Michelin-star chefs, to the diverse street food that India is famous for,” said Shridhar.
He also mentioned that “hassle-free payments” will continue to be a priority for Visa as it works to simplify the payment experience for international travellers visiting India.
Another exciting initiative on the horizon is Visa’s launch of curated hotel and dining experiences across India. International tourists will have access to world-class dining options, ranging from Michelin-star chefs to India’s renowned street food. Visa aims to assure visitors that all their needs will be taken care of during their stay, enhancing their travel experience.
Visa is also championing a digital-first approach to transit. While UPI has become widely popular within India, it is less accessible to international travellers due to KYC requirements, said Sridhar. To address this, Visa is working to ensure that foreign visitors can use their existing payment methods, such as contactless cards or cards stored virtually on their digital wallets. Global cities like London have seen tourism growth because of adopting digital transit solutions, and Visa aims to replicate this success in India by expanding tap-to-pay options in metros and public transport.
Visa’s transit solutions are already active in several major cities worldwide, allowing travellers to use contactless Visa cards to access metro systems seamlessly. In India, around 20% of people use tap-to-pay for buses and terminals, but this figure jumps to 50% when Indians travel abroad, showing how travellers quickly adapt to this technology in places where it’s standard practice, Sridhar highlighted.
One key market where digital payment is thriving is the UAE, India’s third-largest source of tourists, where 38% of transactions are made via card tap and 61% via mobile tap. As these tech-savvy travellers come to India, Visa is working to ensure they can enjoy a seamless payment experience without the need for cash or foreign exchange.
Recognising UPI’s importance in India, Visa has also partnered with Paytm and Pinelabs to introduce low-cost POS machines that support both UPI and tap payments. This technology will empower small merchants, including street food vendors, to accept payments from international tourists via contactless cards, streamlining the payment process and enhancing convenience for visitors, stated Sridhar.
Visa is also willing to tying this initiative to the Incredible India visual, partnering with local merchants to offer exclusive deals to international tourists. Although still in its pilot phase, Visa is poised to scale these initiatives significantly, further boosting India’s appeal as a global tourism destination.
Sridhar was presenting the insights during a seminar on “Taking India Tourism forward through tech innovations and green sustainability”. This business session was chaired by Former Tourism Secretary, Arvind Singh and featured other speakers including Aashish Gupta, Consulting CEO FAITH, Prof. Manohar Sajnani from Amity University, among others.
