Brand India set for a strategic overhaul as MoT invites bids for Integrated Tourism Promotion Agency
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The bid submission deadline has been set for July 13, 2026, with the agency expected to help drive a more integrated and outcome-oriented approach to promoting India as a tourism destination, as per Ministry’s tender document.
The Ministry is also understood to be favouring India-based agencies over international consultants. According to the source T3 spoke to, the objective is to build a strategy rooted in India's own tourism strengths and market understanding rather than depending heavily on overseas agencies.
The Ministry of Tourism is preparing to undertake one of the most significant overhauls of its tourism promotion strategy since the launch of the Incredible India campaign over two decades ago, with plans to appoint an Integrated Tourism Promotion Agency (ITPA) to help reshape how India markets itself as a tourism destination.
In a move that signals a major rethink of its tourism promotion strategy, the Ministry of Tourism has floated a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the appointment of an Integrated Tourism Promotion Agency. According to the tender document, the selected agency will function as a "single-point, 360-degree partner" responsible for tourism marketing strategy, creative and content development, media planning and buying support, digital and social media management, public relations, pavilion and event design, roadshows, as well as performance tracking and analytics. The Ministry says the objective is to replace "fragmented execution across multiple vendors" with a more cohesive, research-driven and outcome-oriented approach.
The bid submission deadline has been set for July 13, 2026, with the agency expected to help drive a more integrated and outcome-oriented approach to promoting India as a tourism destination.
Significantly, the Ministry has cited evolving traveller behaviour, digital-first travel planning and intensifying global competition among destinations as key reasons behind the proposed restructuring, signalling a recognition that India's tourism promotion framework must adapt to a rapidly changing global marketplace.
“The world has changed completely since 2002 when Incredible India campaign was launched. Consumer behaviour, technology, communication channels and tourism markets have evolved. If we continue to work in the same way, we risk falling behind as a destination,” a source told T3.
The initiative follows a series of consultations conducted by the Ministry over the past year with state tourism departments, hotels, tour operators and other tourism stakeholders. Discussions were held during a tourism meeting in Srinagar last year, followed by additional stakeholder consultations in December. According to the source, a consensus emerged from these interactions that India's tourism promotion architecture needed to be modernised and made more integrated.
To explore possible models, the Ministry subsequently floated an Expression of Interest (EOI), inviting agencies and industry players to submit ideas and recommendations. The exercise reportedly attracted around 13 responses from companies offering suggestions on how the Ministry could redesign its promotional strategy.
The Ministry is also understood to be favouring India-based expertise over international consultants. According to the source, the objective is to build a strategy rooted in India's own tourism strengths and market understanding rather than depending heavily on overseas agencies.
A key shift being considered under the new framework is the move away from treating domestic and international tourism promotion as separate exercises. Until now, the Ministry has largely operated distinct promotion mechanisms for domestic and overseas markets. However, officials believe the digital era has blurred those boundaries.
The Ministry believes iconic attractions, heritage sites and tourism products appeal equally to Indian and foreign travellers, making an integrated promotional approach more effective and efficient. Notably, the Ministry is also asking bidders to create sample campaigns around niche tourism segments, requiring agencies to develop sample campaigns around initiatives such as 'Wed in India', 'Heal in India', MICE tourism and adventure tourism.
While the process remains at an early stage, the source indicated that the final stages of the strategy, however, will depend on policy decisions, stakeholder feedback and budgetary support.
