Category Archives: MOT

Union Tourism Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, “The ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh is expected to attract 30 lakh international visitors.” He added, “Initially, we had estimated around 15 lakh foreign visitors, which does not include non-resident Indians. However, looking at the response we have revised this to double our earlier estimate.”

Mukesh Kumar Meshram, Principal Secretary, Tourism & Culture, UP, informed that under the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Policy 2022, the state has received investment proposals worth ₹1 trillion in the hospitality sector in the last two years. The proposals were received after the state organised the Global Investors Summit in February 2023.

Skyscanner has observed a significant increase in travel interest for the Maha Kumbh, with elevated booking volumes from January 12 continuing through February 26 aligning with key dates of the holy dip rituals. It also sees huge interest from international travellers, and the top five international cities that have searched for travel to Prayagraj around these dates are Dubai, London, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Doha. This data underscores how travellers across India and the world are gearing up to immerse themselves in the spiritual grandeur of the Maha Kumbh, making it a pivotal travel moment for 2025.

Highlighting the tourism growth, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Tourism Minister, GoI, said, “The govt is taking decisive steps to decongest bottlenecks and facilitate budget travellers. Our focus on integrating state tourism policies ensures a robust and unified approach to infrastructure development across India. In the past six months, I have witnessed tremendous efforts across states to harness tourism potential. Together, we must work collectively to elevate India’s tourism to new heights.”

Speaking about bridging the gap in terms of skilled labour in the hospitality sector, Dr Sagnik Chowdhury, Deputy Director General & Regional Director (West & Central India) at Ministry of Tourism say, “The Ministry runs 21 central institutes of hotel management across the country and there are a number of state institutes of hotel management. The skilled manpower requirement is expected to be plugged by students who undertake diploma courses, craft courses, certificate courses. We are planning to increase our capacity of training students for even these skill-based courses so that the growing demand for skilled manpower is met.”

MOT is set to make Maha Kumbh this year a landmark event not only for spiritual gatherings, but also for global tourism with luxury tents, cultural pavilions and flights. To ensure seamless travel for tourists, it has partnered with Alliance Air to enhance air connectivity to Prayagraj from multiple cities across India.

Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, has shared that the Ministry of Tourism has confirmed participation at FITUR and urged members to participate in the same. He also announced that their 2025 convention will be held in August at Swosti Premium Beach Resorts, Puri. He was speaking at the monthly IATO luncheon.

Sharing his views and expectations on the upcoming Union Budget, Hussain Patel, Director, TripJack, says, “The travel and tourism sector hopes the Union Budget will address its pressing challenges and pave the way for sustained growth. Rationalizing GST rates for travel agents and enabling input tax credits are essential steps to reduce operational costs and improve market competitiveness. Simplifying compliance processes can further alleviate the administrative burden on businesses. Additionally, promoting domestic and inbound tourism through innovative awareness campaigns and eco-friendly initiatives can foster sustainable development and boost the sector’s long-term prospects. The budget will most likely focus on expanding regional connectivity programs like UDAN and accelerating tourism infrastructure development in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to unlock untapped domestic travel markets. Emphasis on digitization and targeted skill development programs can empower travel agents to adapt to emerging industry trends. Offering affordable credit facilities to small and mid-sized travel agents can strengthen financial resilience and support business growth. If these measures are included in the budget they can stimulate robust and sustainable progress in the industry.”  

The Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region has announced an inter-ministerial Tourism Task Force that has been set to develop one world-class tourism site per North East state to attract global visitors. The task force will also work towards establishing GI status for 200 unique products in the NE region and foster cultural identity and brand recognition. Tourism sites for development in each state have been identified and shared with the respective states, however, the state shall be taking a final decision on the way forward.

Sharing an update from the Ministry of Tourism, Dr Sagnik Chowdhury, Deputy Director General & Regional Director (West & Central India) at Ministry of Tourism, said “We plan to document GI tagged products all across India. In the western region we will focus on Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and the UT of Daman & Diu, Dadra Nagar Haveli. We will document, photograph and develop literature on all GI tagged products in this region. They are an indicator of our heritage and culture and will help attract tourism.”