New Delhi

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism and Culture emphasized the crucial role tourism will play in India's journey towards becoming a developed nation (Viksit Bhaarat) by 2047.

Speaking at the ET World Leaders Forum on Saturday, he said, "By 2047 when India becomes developed, one of the big drivers of developed India (Viksit Bhaarat) will be the tourism sector."

Shekhawat emphasized India's rapid progress over the past decade, attributing it to strategic reforms and advancements in infrastructure under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Shekhawat said, "The way India has developed its infrastructure, established new benchmarks across various sectors, and embraced cutting-edge technologies has transformed the global perspective towards our nation. Today, India is recognized as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world."

Highlighting recent acknowledgements of India's economic growth, Shekhawat referenced Moody's recent rating.

"Moody's acknowledgement of our economic growth is a testament to the positive trajectory India has been on in recent years," he said.

Shekhawat also pointed out the massive scale of infrastructure development in India, including the construction of over 1,50,000 kilometers of highways, the electrification of the entire rail network, and the introduction of advanced train systems like Vande Bharat.

He noted that while India's tourism sector currently contributes 7.9 per cent to the global economy--below the global average of 10.4 per cent--there is significant potential for growth.

"The total number of inbound tourists in India is concentrated in just seven states, from Rajasthan to Delhi. As we move towards 2047, tourism will be one of the key drivers of India's development," Shekhawat said.

Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, echoed Shekhawat's sentiments on India's growing global economic presence.

He said, "India is on the world map as far as economy is concerned. We are getting all the attention from every corner of the world. When it comes to tourism, there is a lot we still need to do.

While domestic tourism is on the growth path already, international tourism is also on the growth path."
He added, "The inbound tourism, given the COVID situation, we still had bought 85 per cent of recovery as compared to 2019 levels. We get about close to 10 million tourists and we used to be at about 11 or a little over 11 million foreign tourists in 2019. The 2023 over 2022 was like 300 per cent growth. We are finishing the recovery path and getting into the growth zone even for the foreign tourist arrivals as well."

Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and CEO of The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), highlighted the integral relationship between infrastructure growth and the hospitality sector.

He said, "Single biggest beneficiary of the growth of infrastructure is Hospitality. When hospitality grows, it creates a lot of jobs. It is the biggest multiplicator of jobs in the world."

Sandeep Ghosh, Group Country Manager for India and South Asia at VISA, discussed the emerging trends in health and wellness tourism.

"Health tourism, wellness tourism is on the uptick. This is a huge opportunity for the government to leverage on the Ayush initiative to grow this segment further", Ghosh said.

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