Speaking at the WTM World Travel Leaders: Asia – Inbound and Outbound Travel – Growing Globally debate on Tuesday, Cox & Kings group chief executive Peter Kerkar said he believed the destination could become increasingly expensive if the infrastructure is not created to cater for both an increase in national and international tourism.

And even if it coincides with a predicted increase of affluence for the Indian population, pricing may yet prove too great for the people to holiday at home.

Kerkar said: “It becomes cheaper for Indians to travel overseas to places like Thailand or even Europe than it is to holiday in India”

Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) chief executive Mario Hardy said countries are ignoring the need for basic infrastructure to support tourists at their own cost.

“You’re not thinking beyond five year, you need to think about 10, 15, 20 years time and build the infrastructure to accommodate this growth.”

Hardy also warned destinations of the danger of only relying on their tried and tested tourist attractions as opposed to developing new ones.

He said: “The private and public sectors need to work together to disperse those tourists into places that need them.

“I beg you to please help to disperse them as some of the destinations are getting really overcrowded.”

Meanwhile, Wendy Wu Tours founder and chief executive Wendy Wu said the Chinese market was becoming increasingly aware of the need to respect the customs of other countries when they are visiting them.

However, Kerkar urged host nations to be aware that Indian travellers are not being deliberately rude if they neglect the ways when they are overseas, particularly when it comes to food where they are often subject to religious constraints.

“They’re not meaning to be offensive and they love being here and spending money in your country,” he argued.