Tourism Sector

Domestic getaways, Asian destinations gain for festival travel: Agoda

Bangkok, Phuket and Tokyo lead international searches by Indian travellers, while Goa, Puri and Udaipur remain popular domestic destinations, according to Agoda's latest travel data

Tech, people, cultural economy key to unlocking tourism: Shekhawat

Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat says cultural capital must gain a larger role in economic policy, alongside technology and human capital

Germany targets two-fold rise in Indian tourist overnight stays by 2030

Germany is aiming to double annual overnight stays by Indian visitors by 2030, its national tourism board chief Petra Hedorfer said, as the country seeks to tap the growing appetite among Indian travellers for longer, experience-led holidays beyond traditional city itineraries. India is an important strategic growth market for Germany, with Indian visitors accounting for 9,28,635 overnight stays in 2025, up 3.4 per cent from the previous year, Hedorfer, CEO of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), said in an interview to PTI. The positive trend has continued this year, with 5,37,565 overnight stays by Indian visitors recorded during January-July 2026, an increase of 2.9 per cent year-on-year. July alone saw 85,400 overnight stays, up 3.6 per cent compared with the same month last year. "Looking towards 2030, our longer-term ambition is to double overnight stays annually from India," Hedorfer said. She said Germany remained positive about the potential of the Indian market, ...

Govt launches initiative to build digital public infra for tourism sector

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

India moves up on global travel & tourism index to 31st place, Japan on top

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

Why India travels

Policy needs to look beyond hotels and airports

SC agrees to hear Sebi plea against SAT relief to Sahara managers

Supreme Court to hear Sebi's challenge to SAT relief for Sahara executives in the OFCD case, with the matter slated for July

Jet fuel shortages could make summer travel 'total mess', push fares higher

Facing sky-high fuel costs linked to the war in Iran, airlines are cutting routes and raising prices; European vacations are looking a lot less affordable

Odisha shifts tourism pitch with new 'Think India, Think Odisha' tagline

State replaces 'India's Best Kept Secret' tagline with a global-facing identity, aiming to position Odisha as a high-value, experience-driven tourism destination

Parliamentary panel flags low fund use by tourism ministry, seeks reforms

Parliamentary panel highlights sharp underutilisation, recommends quarterly spending targets and a dedicated promotion board to boost tourism marketing

Travel firms hit as West Asia crisis triggers cancellations, stock decline

Travel and tourism stocks fell more sharply than the Sensex as tensions in West Asia led to mass cancellations, flight disruptions and rising uncertainty across key outbound markets for India

Gujarat govt presents ₹4.08 trn Budget; big push to tourism, sports infra

Gujarat Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai on Wednesday presented a Rs 4.08 lakh crore Budget for 2026-27 in the Assembly with a focus on tourism promotion and creation of sports infrastructure ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games. The Budget, with an estimated surplus of Rs 974 crore and no new taxes, continued the 5 per cent tax rebate for electric vehicles. The total outlay increased by Rs 37,803 crore or 10.2 per cent to Rs 4,08,053 crore over the previous financial year, Desai said. A major highlight of the Budget was the state government's roadmap to develop Ahmedabad as an "Olympic Ready City" ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which Gujarat will host. The minister proposed an allocation of Rs 1,278 crore for infrastructure related to the upcoming Games. This includes the development of international-level sports complexes and stadiums, and strengthening urban transport connectivity around key venues. A total provision of Rs 1,331 crore has been made for the sports departme

FM proposes first-ever National Institute of Hospitality in Budget 2026

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

Republic Day long weekend triggers robust travel activity in India, abroad

Short-haul local and international destinations see uptick

Domestic tourism, corporate travel may push room rates up in 2026

India's hospitality sector is set for steady growth in 2026, with hotel room rates rising as domestic tourism, corporate travel and MICE demand continue to outpace new supply across major markets

Over 55K tourists likely to visit Rajasthan for New Year celebrations

Tourism experts estimate that during the December-January period, tourism-related business is expected to touch over ₹500 crore

Millennials, Gen Z lead 90% of India's outbound travel in 2025: Report

The year 2025 marked a defining shift in India's outbound travel landscape, with millennials and Gen Z leading nine out of 10 international trips, a new report has revealed. The annual travel report, released by travel-banking fintech platform Niyo, highlights how young, digital-first and experience-driven Indians are reshaping global travel trends through smarter planning, solo exploration and cost-conscious decision-making. Gen Z and Millennials accounted for 9 in 10 international trips. Two-thirds of these journeys originated from Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, reflecting the strong influence of India's leading metros in outbound travel, the report findings said. Solo travel emerged as the dominant preference among Indian travellers, with 63.8 per cent of trips undertaken by individuals. Couples accounted for 19.93 per cent of trips, followed by families at 12.26 per cent and groups at 4.01 per cent, indicating a growing inclination towards independent travel. Short-haul Asian ...

Higher spending but fewer visitors: India must fix its tourism strategy

India ranks 39th on the World Economic Forum's 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index, performing strongly on natural and cultural resources

Tourists flock to Rajasthan as Delhi chokes on post-Diwali pollution

Hotel occupancy is hovering between 70 and 80 per cent, out of which domestic tourists account for 95 per cent

Foreign tourist arrivals on the rise but shy of 2019 peak as season begins

Winter travel will test India's return to the global travel map