Tourism In India

A 10-day expedition will take 22 riders through Madhya Pradesh's wildlife and heritage destinations as the partners develop motorcycle routes and promote responsible tourism

The Centre on Sunday launched a project to build a national digital public infrastructure for the tourism sector, which will enable users to access a wide range of products and services on a shared digital space. The Ministry of Tourism has joined hands with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to build the 'National Digital Tourism Stack', with a target to bring on board 23,000 tourism experiences and homestays and make them discoverable, trustable and bookable by the end of 2028, officials said. Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Shekhawat launched the project at a function held at the Bharat Mandapam to mark World Tourism Day on Sunday. The National Digital Tourism Stack, being developed in collaboration with the ONDC and with the support of the International Centre for DPI Innovation and Advancement (ICDIA), aims to make India's tourism offerings more discoverable, accessible and trustworthy, the ministry said. "This shared digital infrastructure will enable tourism provid

Helped by its highly cost-competitive travel environment and rich cultural resources, India has moved up nine places to 31st rank on a global Travel and Tourism Development Index, topped by Japan. Japan is followed by the US, Spain, Australia and France in the top five positions on the World Economic Forum index developed in collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group. While advanced economies continued to dominate the top of the index, some of the strongest momentum is occurring elsewhere, including in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Viet Nam, the Philippines, Turkiye, Mexico and Brazil, the WEF said. China, India and Mexico also ranked among the top 10 for the number of World Heritage cultural sites. The report said India combines a highly cost-competitive travel environment with rich cultural resources, abundant natural assets and well-distributed tourism demand. "Rapid improvements in tourism infrastructure, cultural assets and business travel resources have helped

The visiting delegation from Yamanashi Prefecture is on a five-city tour covering New Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Greater Noida and Varanasi

The Ladakh administration has decided to grant industry status to hotels and guest houses registered with the tourism department in a move aimed at strengthening the hospitality sector and boosting tourism-led economic growth, officials said. Lt Governor VK Saxena on Wednesday approved the grant of 'Industry' status to registered hotels and guest houses in the Union territory, they said. The decision, which will come into effect from June 1, 2026, is expected to provide a substantial fillip to tourism establishments through incentives, concessional utility tariffs and easier access to institutional finance, they said. Officials said hotels and guest houses would now be eligible for electricity and water tariffs at industrial rates, which are lower than the commercial rates which are currently applicable to such establishments. They would also qualify for concessional bank loans under various state and central government industrial policies besides exemption from property tax, they

For the first time, winter pilgrimage has been introduced in Uttarakhand, promoting tourism throughout the year

Mospi bulletins highlight gains in sanitation, electrification and inequality reduction as India aligns economic expansion with environmental sustainability under SDG framework

The Union Budget emphasised tourism through an institute upgrade, guide training, adventure and heritage initiatives, and lower TCS on overseas tour packages to boost competitiveness

Every year, millions of visitors from India and abroad travel to the state's ancient and historic religious sites

The government is redesigning the Prasad scheme aimed at encouraging pilgrim tourism in various states of the country, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. Responding to a supplementary during Question Hour, Culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said 54 projects have been sanctioned under the scheme in the last ten years. He said the scheme was aligned with the financial cycle and now that the cycle is on the verge of being completed and the ministry is redesigning the scheme. The Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive scheme was launched in 2014-15 to develop and revitalise pilgrim sites across India. Based on proposals moved by respective state governments, it has focussed on tourist infrastructure to improve the experience of pilgrims or tourists.

Concert economy giving wings to micro-holidays, hotels stays

Another would be New Comprehensive Tourism Policy, which will give impetus to tourism infrastructure, employment generation and experience-based tourism

The region is expected to nearly double its branded hotel supply by 2030, with more than 3,000 new rooms in the pipeline

Ladakh's tourism sector, already reeling from setbacks earlier this season, has been dealt another blow with the curfew in Leh following last week's violence. Stakeholders said the industry was first hit by widespread cancellations after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, and the fresh disturbances have further dented travellers' confidence. An indefinite curfew was imposed in Leh town on September 24 following clashes during a shutdown called by a constituent of Leh Apex Body, which has been spearheading an agitation for statehood and the extension of Sixth Schedule to Ladakh. Four people were killed and over 150 others injured in the violence. Barring a four-hour relaxation in two phases on Saturday afternoon, the town remained under strict curfew for the sixth consecutive day on Monday with mobile internet services suspended. This has triggered booking cancellations and caused hardships to tourists and local stakeholders. "The cancellation of advance booki

Industry hopeful of revival, full festive season may not get impacted

Pieter Elbers says India must simplify visas, improve ease of travel and revive campaigns to attract more foreign visitors

Hotel occupancy rates and room tariffs are set to rise this Independence Day long weekend as travellers across India head to various destinations, major industry players said. Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip told PTI, Independence Day has emerged as a key travel occasion over the years. "This year too, the search and booking trends point to strong intent to travel over the Independence Day weekend. With Independence Day on a Friday, travel demand appears to be peaking two days earlier, on Wednesday (13 August), giving early travellers a five-day window," he shared. According to him, the top trending domestic destinations are Goa, Udaipur, Jaipur, Puri, Lonavala, Varanasi, Coorg, Mahabaleshwar, Ooty and Pondicherry, while the leading international destinations are Pattaya, Bali, Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai, Phuket, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Zurich and London. Puneet Chhatwal, MD and CEO of Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), the country's biggest hospitality firm, wh

The Andaman & Nicobar administration has invited Expressions of Interest from Indian aviation operators to launch commercial helicopter services, aiming to connect 11 islands with faster travel

Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday said that he held a positive and forward-looking discussion with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on the development of the tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir Shekhawat arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday morning as part of his two-day visit. "During my visit to Jammu & Kashmir, I was graciously invited for a dinner interaction by Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Omar Abdullah Ji," he said on X. "In a warm and cordial atmosphere, we held a positive and forward-looking discussion on the development of the tourism sector in J&K. Emphasis was laid on enhancing infrastructure, promoting heritage sites, and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities through tourism," he said in his post. Such engagements reflect "our collective commitment" to transform Jammu and Kashmir into a global tourism destination that celebrates its culture, nature, and people, Shekhawat added. The tourism sector in the UT has been ...

The Goa government is planning to provide a spiritual experience to visitors, away from the beaches, by promoting a pilgrimage circuit comprising 11 iconic temples in the state, officials said on Tuesday. These temples will be the highlight of the Goa Tourism's 'Ekadasha Teertha Yatra' campaign, they said. A meeting was held on Monday with representatives of all the 11 temples to discuss promotion of the pilgrimage circuit and resolve any coordination-related issues, Goa Tourism Director Kedar Naik told PTI. The 'Ekadasha Teertha Yatra' will cover the 11 temples representing Goa's rich spiritual legacy. These include Sri Manguesh Temple in Mangeshi (North Goa), Sri Mahalasa Narayani Temple in Mardol (North Goa), Mahadev Temple in Tambdi Surla (South Goa) and Sri Shantadurga Temple in Fatorpa (South Goa). As part of the pilgrimage circuit, tourists will be taken around four temples in a day, covering the entire journey in two-three days, Naik said. The visitors will also be taken