India, 1st April 2026 – Digital travel platform Agoda awarded more than 200 hotels across India in its 17th edition of the Gold Circle Awards, placing the market as the fourth highest in number of awardees. The annual awards honor properties that deliver consistently high guest standards, strong digital engagement and operational adaptability. This year’s winners were heavily concentrated in India’s top business‑and‑leisure centres such as Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru, where demand is being driven by a mix of corporate travel and leisure escapes.
Interest in travel to India has grown among international travelers with accommodation searches to the market experiencing a 24x year-on-year increase. India’s popularity continues to rise with an 81% increase searches among travelers from United Arab Emirates compared to the previous year. Meanwhile travelers from Malaysia, the United States of America (USA) and Singapore saw a 40% growth in accommodation searches. This momentum coincides with the Government of India announcement at the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exhibition (SATTE) to double airport capacity, a strategic expansion expected to strengthen international connectivity, shorten travel times and unlock additional hotel and tour demand as infrastructure is scaled up to meet tourism growth that is currently outpacing supply.
“The growing momentum of international visitors putting India on their travel list is a win for the market and for hoteliers who are ready to meet rising demand,” said Gaurav Malik, Country Director, Indian Subcontinent & Indian Ocean Islands at Agoda. “It’s encouraging to see how quickly the ecosystem and its partners are rising to meet that demand. As connectivity improves and airport capacity expands, India is well positioned to welcome even more travelers and to showcase the incredible depth and variety of experiences the country has to offer.”
The 17th edition of Agoda’s annual Gold Circle Awards, recognized over 3,000 hotel partners globally for leading in operational excellence and maintaining a consistently high standard of guest experiences within Agoda’s ecosystem. The award celebrates properties that consistently deliver quality guest experiences, maintain strong digital engagement and stay adaptable as traveler needs evolve.
As more travelers discover India, insights from Agoda’s “Tailored to Win” report show that traveler profiles, particularly across Asia, continue to diversify and expectations for seamless, digital-first booking are increasing, making it even more important for properties to stay visible online and convert efficiently. The report found that nearly 98% of Indian hotels using advanced localization strategies reported a positive impact on revenue, underscoring how tailored content, payments and guest touchpoints can help partners capture growing international interest alongside strong domestic momentum.
