India's tourism industry is counting on sports to help rebound travel. Tourism to India declined in 2009 by 6.3 percent, bringing in 4.54 million tourists, down from the previous 5.62 million.
The industry is counting on the Commonwealth Games to help bring numbers back up. The Games will be held in Delhi in October of 2010 and is being coupled with a variety of tour packages, designed to draw in tourists. According to Ashish Kishore, head of hotel and retail business Yatra.com, "If India gives a positive image to the world at that time [of the games], then it will be a golden period for Indian tourism."
