Category Archives: MOT

Union Minister of Tourism & Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, speaking at the G20 Ministerial meet in Brazil, emphasized the role of tourism and culture in sustainable socio-economic development and nature positive tourism. He stressed on the need for tourism policies to focus on inclusion and resilience, in line with India’s theme: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.

Suman Billa, Addl. Secretary, MOT, said, “There is a need for targeted strategies including decongesting popular tourist sites and developing new ones.” Currently, tourism sector contributes five per cent to India’s GDP, whereas Thailand and Turkey adds 23 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively. 

P.A. Mohamed Riyas, Tourism & PWD Minister, Kerala, said, “The tourism department will organise a ‘tribal cultural festival’ this year to promote tourism in Wayanad by highlighting the cultural and ethnic heritage of the place, adding that Wayanad had a special place on the tourism map owing to its immense possibilities for adventure tourism and balmy weather.”

At IFTM-Top Resa 2024 in Paris, India’s tourism sector made a strong impression, with participation from private players and key states like Rajasthan, UP, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. The event featured 170 destinations and 1,400 global brands. India’s presence at this event themed ‘New Sustainable Horizons,’ highlights the country’s commitment to sustainability.

Appreciating the MICE potential in Karnataka, Mohamed Farouk, Director, MOT, Bengaluru, GoI, said, “Karnataka government is establishing a state-specific Karnataka International Travel Bureau, modelled after the framework of MOT’s ICPB, to boost MICE tourism. To further enhance this initiative, the state government should participate in prominent global MICE events to attract more business.”

Appealing to the states to collaborate for tourism acceleration, Venkatesan Dhattareyan, Regional Director (South), Ministry of Tourism, GoI, said that he believes the interstate travel circuits with bundled packages promoting multiple states or two states in one itinerary should be encouraged with a focus on lesser known destinations for the ease of travellers. It will help in equitable distribution of tourists and will benefit the region.

Ministry of Tourism is aiming to create a tourism assets bank, a new initiative that maps India’s tangible and intangible attractions. From Hyderabad’s biryani to the beaches of Goa, the project will categorise what makes each destination special. V Vidyavathi, Secretary, MOT, said, “The aim is to develop tourism products that resonate deeply with travellers, offering them more personalised and experiential journeys.”

Ministry of Tourism has ramped up efforts to boost tourism across southern states, with a mega conference of South Indian tourism ministers set to take place in Vizag today. Notably, the Ministry has already approved various projects, including ₹30.02 crore plan for Mamallapuram.

Addressing the inaugural session of the 39th IATO Annual Convention that witnessed around 1,200 delegates, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism, GoI, said, “We need to understand the changing needs of tourists and need to develop products and new destinations from the perspective of the people. With growing opportunities, India is going to become the largest market for tourism in the world.”

Keeping with the Indian tourism industry’s objective of positioning India as a global tourism brand, Mugdha Sinha, DG, Tourism, GoI, urged the tourism stakeholders to work together with the government while inviting them to come up with a draft of code of best practices and ethics by 27 September which is ‘World Tourism Day’ so that the MOT will try to adopt it and advertise and popularise it.”