India sets goal: world leader in tourism by 2047

The three-day National Conference of State Tourism Minister adopted “Dharamshala Declaration” which affirms commitment toward developing “sustainable and responsible tourism” and positions India as a “global leader in the tourism sector by 2047”.

The National Tourism Conference 2022:

• The Conference was organised by the Ministry of Tourism (at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh) to discuss issues related to development of tourism in the country.
• The Conference holds significance in the current context of India’s G20 presidency (in 2023). G-20 will be used as a platform to showcase India’s tourism potential to the world.

Ambitious goals for tourism sector:

• Recovery to the pre-pandemic level by 2024
• $250 billion contribution to the GDP by 2030
• world leader by 2047
• A long-term revenue goal of $1 trillion by 2047

Important Initiatives to promote tourism

• West Bengal: With Durga Puja getting a place on UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage, Indian Government has made a provision for puja passes for foreign travellers, to give them quick access to the pandals, skipping long queues.
• Jammu and Kashmir: promoting destinations beyond Srinagar and Gulmarg.

• Incentives for films where more than 50 per cent shoot is done in the UT.
• Opened up most of the areas for shoots, even going up till Rajouri, which is close to the Line of Control.

• Tamil Nadu pitched itself as a destination for medical tourism, with the state getting 40 percent of all medical tourists coming to India. 

• The Centre announced that several visa reforms will be undertaken, while immigration will also be made more visitor-friendly.

• The Ministry of Tourism has launched a number of initiatives and implemented a four-pronged development strategy that focuses on

• Improving the connectivity - air, rail, and roads.
• Enhancing the tourism infrastructure and dependent services.
• Streamlining branding and promotion.
• Showcasing the culture and heritage.