FAITH pitches a six-point tourism agenda at its 2nd Conclave in Delhi; calls for time-bound reforms
To build Brand Bharat, the six-point charter seeks: 1) Granting tourism infrastructure status by the Centre and industry status across states. 2) Fast track the development of 50 tourism destinations on Mission Mode with clear guidelines. 3) Re-launching a global 'Incredible India' promotion campaign with sustained funding. 4) Liberalising the visa regime through wider e-visa access and simplified entry procedures. 5) Accelerating investments in tourism infrastructure, from last-mile connectivity to cruise terminals and convention centres. 6) Rationalising taxation and introducing a single-window clearance mechanism to encourage private investment.
Gagneet Kaur
While domestic travel has surged past 4.2 billion visits and Indians are travelling overseas in record numbers, the country’s foreign tourist arrivals remain below where the industry believes they should be for a destination of India’s scale. Meanwhile, outbound departures have crossed 32 million, underscoring the widening imbalance between Indians travelling abroad and foreign tourists choosing India. Where are the gaps and what could be the immediate action plan? The industry has been conversing over the subject for years.
It was against this backdrop that the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) used its annual conclave to further push conversation to execution. Bringing together the leading member tourism and hospitality associations, policymakers and industry stakeholders, FAITH argued that if India is serious about becoming a global tourism powerhouse by 2047, it first needs a clear, actionable roadmap for the next 4 years.
At the 2nd edition of its Conclave held in New Delhi, themed ‘Incredible India: Invaluable Economics’, FAITH unveiled a six-point Tourism Growth Charter, describing it as an immediate action agenda designed to unlock investment, improve competitiveness and revive inbound tourism.
The six-point charter seeks: 1) Granting tourism infrastructure status by the Centre and industry status across states. 2) Fast-track the development of 50 tourism destinations on Mission Mode with clear guidelines. 3) Re-launching a global ‘Incredible India’ promotion campaign with sustained funding. 4) Liberalising the visa regime through wider e-visa access and simplified entry procedures. 5) Accelerating investments in tourism infrastructure, from last-mile connectivity to cruise terminals and convention centres. 6) Rationalising taxation and introducing a single-window clearance mechanism to encourage private investment.
Speaking at the conclave, Puneet Chhatwal, Chairman, FAITH & MD & CEO at Indian Hotels Company Limited, said the debate is no longer about proving tourism's value but about scaling it. “The challenge before us is no longer proving tourism's potential; it is harnessing it at scale. Tourism is a growth engine that has a multiplier effect on both economic and social development. By acting now on industry status, 50 destinations, Brand Bharat and ease of travel, we can position India as a global tourism powerhouse this decade.”
FAITH Chairman also acknowledged that while domestic tourism has emerged stronger than ever, inbound tourism continues to underperform. “Foreign tourist arrivals are still below ten million. Even within those numbers, a significant share comprises the Indian diaspora returning to visit family rather than leisure travellers contributing substantially to foreign exchange earnings,” he said. “The opportunity ahead is immense. One rupee invested in tourism creates more than three times the economic value for society while generating large-scale employment.”
Chhatwal also argued that India's globally acclaimed 'Incredible India' campaign had played a defining role in increasing inbound arrivals in earlier years and that its momentum should now be revived. “That campaign helped India grow from around two to three million international arrivals to nearly ten million. Once the campaign ended, growth slowed. Tourism remains one of the strongest contributors to India's global soft power,” he said.
Also reiterating FAITH’s long-standing demand for industry and infrastructure status, Chhatwal clarified that the sector was not seeking financial incentives but policy parity. “If tourism receives infrastructure status, it enables developers to access cheaper finance for creating quality tourism infrastructure. Since ours is both capital-intensive and labour-intensive, such measures directly translate into greater investment and employment,” he said.
Responding to concerns over India increasingly being perceived as an expensive destination compared to competing Asian markets, Chhatwal argued that the issue extends beyond hotel tariffs. He pointed out that international airfares, aviation taxes, airport charges and broader cost structures significantly influence destination competitiveness. Ajeet Bajaj, Vice Chairman, FAITH, said the conclave reflects a united vision for Indian tourism, bringing together all industry segments with a common goal of making tourism one of the country’s strongest economic growth engines. While India possesses some of the world’s richest tourism assets, he stressed that the challenge lies in unlocking this potential sustainably.
Reiterating Vision 2047, Bajaj said the industry aims to transform tourism into a USD 3 trillion sector, attract 100 million international visitors, and generate livelihoods for nearly 200 million Indians, aligning closely with the government’s goal of increasing tourism’s contribution to 10% of GDP by 2047. He emphasised that achieving these ambitions will require sustained collaboration between government and industry, backed by policy stability, investment, infrastructure development, ease of doing business, and faster decision making. Calling the conclave a platform for practical action, Bajaj said the discussions over the two days would focus on identifying implementable solutions to strengthen India’s tourism ecosystem.
Echoing the need for product diversification, Ravi Gosain, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), said India's next phase of tourism growth would increasingly come from emerging regional destinations. “As tour operators, we are finding that travellers want to experience the interiors of India and not just the traditional metro cities or established circuits. This creates tremendous opportunities for smaller destinations,” he said.
Aashish Gupta, Consulting CEO, FAITH, stressed that cleanliness and civic responsibility must become part of the country's tourism culture. “Basics cannot be compromised. Positioning India successfully requires collaborative effort from both government and citizens,” he said, citing Sikkim's recent initiative mandating vehicles entering the state to carry trash bags as an example of responsible destination management.
Sharing the perspective of resort developers, Vikram Lalvani, President, All India Resort Development Association (AIRDA), said tourism investments naturally strengthen local ecosystems. “When resorts are developed in smaller destinations, the benefits extend beyond hospitality. Industry members are working with local communities to improve cleanliness, accessibility, safety and overall destination management. Building destinations means building the entire ecosystem,” he said.
Adding another perspective, KB Kachru, President, Hotel Association of India (HAI), argued that India's accommodation mix also needs attention. He observed that while luxury hotels have expanded considerably, there remains a shortage of quality four-star properties that international travellers often seek.
Coordination between government and industry crucial
Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO offered an international benchmark for India’s opportunity, citing data on global travel spend and outbound travel patterns. She noted that while France and Spain draw the most visitors worldwide, travellers from the United States and China currently spend more per trip — a gap she said represents a clear opportunity for India to target through focused promotion.
According to Guevara, India currently offers visa-free access to only a handful of countries, limiting its competitiveness. She noted that India currently offers visa-free access to only three countries, compared with 70 by China and 90 by Thailand. To unlock India’s full tourism potential, WTTC identified four priority areas for action, one of which includes expanding visa liberalisation. Guevara, during her presentation to the Indian delegation, also recommended accelerating high-speed rail projects and international air connectivity, fully digitising arrival processes and integrated tourism services and significantly increasing international tourism marketing in priority source markets.
Beyond government policy, she called on India’s fragmented tourism industry to unite under a common agenda. She observed that countries such as Japan, Spain have succeeded because governments and industry work together through unified tourism platforms. “When the private sector is aligned, governments can execute faster. India has tremendous potential, but fragmentation slows progress,” she noted.
She also encouraged more industry bodies to work collectively through umbrella organisations such as FAITH to create a stronger single voice for tourism policy.
In his keynote address, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat framed tourism as central to India's identity and its development goals, not merely an economic sector.
“Tourism is not merely a supporting sector — tourism is a nation-building sector," Shekhawat said, noting that it creates jobs, empowers women, turns young people into entrepreneurs, and connects villages and remote regions to markets. He linked the sector directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a Developed India by 2047, describing India's culture and diversity as “a kind of capital that no factory can manufacture, no artificial production house can create, and no technology can generate.”
Shekhawat pointed to progress already underway — including new airports, expanding rail infrastructure, and the destination-management model piloted at Kedarnath — while stressing that infrastructure alone does not attract investment. He called for continued trust and coordination between government and industry, built on policy stability, transparency, and consistency between central and state governments. “Our goal is to make India the world's most authentic experience destination,” he said.
Making Delhi a must visit destination, not just a transit point
Calling for a shift in the way the national capital is positioned globally, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta urged the tourism industry to help transform Delhi from being merely a gateway to the rest of India into a destination in its own right. Addressing the FAITH Conclave, Gupta outlined her government's roadmap to strengthen the city's tourism ecosystem through improved infrastructure, cultural promotion, environmental reforms and closer industry collaboration.
“Delhi should no longer be seen only as a transit point. It has every ingredient to stand as a complete tourism destination on the global map,” Gupta said, while highlighting the capital's blend of history, culture, spirituality, cuisine and modern infrastructure. Beyond heritage tourism, Gupta underlined the city's strengths in business, religious and nature-based tourism.
The Chief Minister also stressed the economic potential of large-scale entertainment events. “We are building Delhi's concert economy. Stadium booking processes have been simplified, charges have been reduced and a single-window system has been introduced to make organising major events easier,” she said.
She added that the government is creating venues capable of hosting events with audiences ranging from one lakh to five lakh people, positioning Delhi as a hub for international concerts, conventions and large public gatherings. The Chief Minister also announced that Delhi is preparing a dedicated film policy to encourage film production in the capital and revealed that the city recently hosted its first film festival, aimed at strengthening its appeal as a filming destination.
Seeking greater engagement with the travel and hospitality sector, Gupta invited industry stakeholders to contribute ideas that could help shape Delhi's tourism future. “We need the partnership, suggestions and expertise of the tourism industry. Together, we can present Delhi to India and the world as a truly global tourism city,” she said.
LG of Delhi, Taranjit Singh Sandhu focused on the capital’s role as both the seat of India's governance and a gateway for millions of international visitors. He described the capital as a convergence point of history, diplomacy, culture, commerce, and modern urban development, and pointed to the successful 2023 G20 India Summit as proof that Delhi can host events of the highest international standard.
Sandhu called for continued investment in Delhi's connectivity, public infrastructure, hospitality services, and cultural programming, to help the city emerge as one of the world's leading tourism capitals.
Discussions over 2 days
Day one and two of the FAITH Tourism Conclave brought together an influential line-up of industry leaders, policymakers to deliberate on the future of Indian tourism. The panel discussions and fireside chats centered on the current state and future potential of India’s tourism sector. The conversations advocated the ideology of the government and private sector collaborating to fix the “missing links” in the travel experience, be it seamless mobility, equitable policies, reviving marketing and diversification, basic infrastructure for support staff, boosting partnerships between airlines and the travel trade community, and more.
The sessions featured actor Boman Irani speaking on Perseverance, Patience & Passion: Building India’s Tourism Future, and a light-hearted conversation with Anupam Kher, led by Puneet Chhatwal. This was followed by Rajesh Magow, Co-founder & CEO, MakeMyTrip, in conversation with Aashish Gupta, Consulting CEO, FAITH, on entrepreneurship in tourism. Neeraj Kharwal, MD, ITPO, and HariKishore S., Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, discussing India’s global MICE ambitions, with Chander Mansharamani, Vice Chairman, ICPB leading the talk. K.B. Kachru, President, HAI, Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson & Managing Director, Lalit Group, under the moderation of Mandeep Lamba, President, HVS South Asia, on the next frontier for Indian hospitality. Also, Anurag Singh Thakur, Member of Parliament- Lok Sabha, Kandula Durgesh, Andhra Pradesh’s Tourism & Culture Minister & PD Sona, Tourism Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, delivered the respective keynotes.
Other sessions focused sharply on inbound tourism, aviation, domestic travel, hospitality, technology and border tourism. Philipp Ackermann, Ambassador of Germany to India, and Vakhtang Jaoshvili, Ambassador of Georgia to India, joined Ravi Gosain, President, IATO, to discuss global learnings for India’s inbound strategy. Dr Subhash Goyal, Chairman, STIC Travels, moderated an aviation panel featuring Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer, IndiGo, and Kevin Markette, Senior Director, Regional Sales, Asia, Lufthansa Group. Neelu Sharma, Chairman, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board, and Vivek Acharya, Managing Director, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board, had a fireside chat with Ved Khanna, President, ADTOI. The programme also featured Yummi Talwar, COO, South Asia, VFS Global, in conversation with Pranay Upadhyaya, Editor, India Today Global.
A FAITH leadership panel moderated by Siddharth Zarabi, Group Editor, Business Today, with Vikram Lalwani (AIRDA), Shatrunjai Singh (IHHA) and Satish Sehrawat (ITTA) was also held. Other discussions included: Ajay Prakash, Global President, International Institute of Peace Through Tourism, in conversation with Abbas Moiz, President, TAFI; former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan in conversation with Ajeet Bajaj, Vice Chairman, FAITH & President, ATOAI; and a technology session featuring Ankush Nijhawan, Co-founder & Joint Managing Director, TBO Tek, and Vinay Gupta, Founder, ORN, moderated by Sunil Kumar R., President, TAAI.
The conclave concluded with a vote of thanks by Rajiv Mehra, General Secretary, FAITH.
