Why global tourism boards are betting big on Indian celebrity ambassadors

Have you ever wondered why Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma seem to be everywhere promoting Dubai, or why Katrina Kaif suddenly became the face of Maldives tourism?

Well, it's not random. Over the past year, a growing number of Indian celebrities have been signed on as brand ambassadors for foreign tourism boards, and the strategy appears to be paying off in measurable ways.

The list of Indian celebrities, particularly Bollywood actors, endorsing international destinations has grown significantly in 2025. Deepika Padukone joined her husband Ranveer Singh as regional brand ambassadors for Abu Dhabi in October 2025, making them the Bollywood power couple to officially represent a destination together. Shah Rukh Khan has been associated with Dubai's tourism campaigns for years through the 'Be My Guest' initiative.

In March 2025, Yas Island launched a campaign reuniting Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, and Abhay Deol from the film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara in a five-episode series titled 'Zindagi Ko Yas Bol.' Katrina Kaif was named Global Brand Ambassador for the Maldives in June 2025, while Sara Tendulkar became the face of Tourism Australia's 'Come and Say G'day' campaign in August 2025.

The data suggests these celebrity partnerships are having a real impact on Indian tourist flows. Dubai has solidified India as its number one source market, with Indian overnight visitors exceeding 2.46 million during a recorded period in 2025. Total overnight visitors to Dubai reached 15.70 million between January and October 2025, representing a 5% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

For the UAE broadly, 7.8 million Indian travellers visited in 2024, accounting for 25.2% of India's total outbound departures of 30.8 million that year, according to Indian tourism statistics. Yas Island in Abu Dhabi reported a 44% surge in Indian guests during 2024, and saw a 15% overall increase in visitation during summer 2025, with international visitation growing 50% year-on-year.

Australia has seen record numbers from India, with 434,000 arrivals in the year ending November 2024, a 12% increase compared to 2023, according to Tourism Research Australia. India maintained its position as Australia's fifth-largest market for both arrivals and visitor expenditure.

The Maldives presents a more complicated picture. Indian arrivals dropped sharply from 209,193 in 2023 to 130,805 in 2024 following diplomatic tensions and social media campaigns encouraging Indians to boycott the destination. The appointment of Katrina Kaif as brand ambassador was a direct response to this crisis, with the Maldivian government setting an ambitious target of 300,000 Indian tourists for 2025. Partial data indicated arrivals had surpassed 100,000 during the recorded period of 2025, suggesting some recovery.

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Why it's working for Indian tourists

While the tourism data for the Indian market in some of these countries for 2025 is yet to be released, the celebrities promoting a destination might prove to be a positive strategic move for the tourism boards.

The effectiveness of these celebrity campaigns with Indian audiences is rooted in specific psychological mechanisms. Research on tourism marketing confirms that celebrity endorsers with high physical attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness positively impact tourists' behavioural intentions, including their intent to visit or recommend destinations. The concept of source credibility is fundamental; celebrities with high social standing lend credibility and inspire trust in the destination's safety and quality.

The match-up hypothesis explains much of the strategic success. This principle states that endorsements work best when there's high perceived alignment between the celebrity's image, the destination's character, and the consumer's desired self-image. Deepika and Ranveer promoting Abu Dhabi as a family destination might work because their public image as new parents aligns with luxury, safety, and cultural enrichment, exactly what high-spending Indian families seek.

The Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara reunion targeting millennials and Gen Z might work because those actors embody adventure and shared experiences, matching what younger travellers want.

Digital content amplifies this influence. Studies show that celebrity endorsements delivered through short promotional videos significantly stimulate tourist behaviour and intention to travel. The episodic format of campaigns like 'Zindagi Ko Yas Bol' capitalises on this effect, aimed at translating abstract brand attributes into tangible, desirable experiences. Celebrity influence also shapes perceptions of safety and overall country image, crucial factors when Indians are deciding where to spend their travel budgets.

Tourism boards are investing heavily in these partnerships because the Indian outbound travel market is experiencing explosive growth. Indian outbound travel recovered from a 73% pandemic decline in 2020 to register 152.6% growth in 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic levels with 27.8 million departures in 2023 and reaching 30.8 million in 2024, according to Indian government data. The overall travel and tourism sector in India is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.27% between 2025 and 2030. Long-term projections suggest India's annual outbound trips could reach 80 to 90 million by 2040.

This growth seems to be driven by India's sustained economic expansion. The country's per capita net national income has grown at approximately 6.9% annually between 2020 and 2023, fueling an expanding middle class eager for international experiences. The demographic profile is particularly attractive to marketers: travellers aged 25-34 account for 27.4% of the market, while those aged 35-44 account for 24.5%, a combined 51.9% concentrated in peak earning and spending years.

Leisure and recreation is the dominant purpose for international travel at 42.5%, followed by visiting friends and relatives at 34.6%, and business travel at 14.9%, according to 2024 data. This mix means destinations can market to both leisure travellers and those on business or family trips who might extend their stays.

Beyond marketing

While celebrity endorsements generate aspiration and emotional connection, structural factors seem to determine conversion. Dubai becoming one of the most travelled destinations for Indians is attributed not just to Shah Rukh Khan's long-standing association with the city, but fundamentally to the introduction of a five-year multiple-entry visa for Indian nationals. This policy change reduced the psychological and logistical friction of repeat visits, maximising the return on marketing investment.

Abu Dhabi demonstrated sophisticated portfolio management in 2025 by simultaneously deploying two distinct celebrity campaigns. The family-focused messaging through Deepika and Ranveer, including Diwali promotions, targeted high-spending families seeking cultural experiences and safety.

The adventure-oriented ZNMD reunion targeted younger travellers seeking thrills and memorable experiences. This dual approach tends to minimise the risk of celebrity mismatch and ensure different high-value segments are addressed authentically.

The Maldives situation revealed the limits of celebrity influence. Despite Katrina Kaif's credibility and appeal, recovering from a 130,805 base in 2024 to the 300,000 target for 2025 required more than star power; it needed genuine diplomatic repair and renewed bilateral goodwill. Celebrity endorsements might not fully compensate for adverse diplomatic relations or prolonged bilateral strain, though they can help bridge emotional gaps once structural issues begin resolving.

The medium-term outlook remains positive across endorsed destinations. Tourism Research Australia forecasts international travel will exceed pre-pandemic levels by 2026. The Maldives Ministry of Finance and Planning projects total bed nights will increase 6.5% in 2026, with medium-term growth of 6.2%, indicating a strategic focus on higher-spending, longer-stay visitors rather than pure volume. The UAE is expected to sustain growth by leveraging both visa advantages and its segmented celebrity partnership model.

For Middle East destinations specifically, tourism spending is forecast to reach $350 billion by 2030. The 2025 celebrity endorsements are positioned to capture market share during this predicted surge, particularly during the 2025-2030 period, with international travellers projected to cross 50 million by the decade’s end. A Research and Markets report attributes the rise to a young population, easier access to overseas destinations and higher disposable incomes. Travellers are also expected to show interest in offbeat and luxury locations beyond established choices such as Thailand and Singapore.

Destinations are now employing portfolios of celebrity power for precise market segmentation, selecting celebrities whose personas authentically align with specific travel motivations. They're combining marketing pull with policy push, ensuring that visa processes, infrastructure, and family amenities match the narrative their celebrity ambassadors are selling. As Indian travellers become more sophisticated and numerous, the destinations that understand this holistic approach, authentic alignment, structural support, and targeted messaging might capture the greatest share of what is expected to rapidly become one of the world's most valuable tourism markets.