PATA India Chapter hosts insightful dialogue with DG Tourism on India’s new vision for inbound tourism growth

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) India Chapter convened its 19th Update and Outlook Meeting in New Delhi on April 11, 2025, featuring Mugdha Sinha, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The session, headlined ‘Incredible India: New Vision! New Vistas!’ and focused on strategies to boost foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) significantly, and offered an in-depth look at the Ministry’s evolving marketing roadmap.

Setting a professional tone, Sinha arrived 10 minutes ahead of schedule, an uncommon yet commendable gesture, as noted by Runeep Sangha, Executive Director, PATA India Chapter, who also served as the Master of Ceremonies.

Sangha adeptly anchored the evening’s discussion, raising key queries on behalf of the travel fraternity present in the audience. The conversation flowed amiably as Sangha addressed pressing questions on how the Ministry of Tourism plans to support and empower travel agents in their efforts to scale up inbound tourism to India, to bring it up to speed with the outbound boom that the industry has been witnessing.

Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA, dialled in on video, welcoming the gathering and said, “We will continue to foster dialogue, build partnerships, and shape the future of travel across the Asia Pacific region and beyond together.”

He encouraged industry participation in two upcoming key events, the PATA Annual Summit 2025 in Istanbul from April 21–23, and the PATA Travel Mart 2025 in Bangkok from August 26–28.

Sinha articulated with clarity exactly what the MoT’s plan of action was. Speaking in an engaging and participatory style, Sinha stepped down from the stage to stand among the attendees, creating a direct, impactful dialogue with the travel trade fraternity. She shared the numbers, the goals, and her clear vision with which she plans to execute them. She said, “We are today a 3.9 trillion US dollar economy hoping to be 5 trillion by 2030, and anywhere between 25 and 30 trillion by the Amrit Kaal, which is 2047.” Her actionable roadmap outlined the MoT’s vision to accelerate India’s inbound tourism and emphasised the need to modernise India’s tourism narrative.

She advocated for the creation of strong intellectual properties (IP) rooted around India’s existing wealth of cultural and heritage assets, instead of trying to build new points of interest. This, she asserted, would elevate the country’s positioning in the global tourism landscape.

Emphasising the importance of digital fluency, Sinha called upon tour operators to embrace the ‘Internet of Things’ and related essential technologies to streamline booking processes, enhance customer experiences, and drive business efficiency. This ease of travel will attract more travellers and generate more revenue.

She stressed the role of bespoke, storytelling-led itineraries to attract high-value foreign tourists, shifting the focus from footfall-based metrics to meaningful longer stays, immersive engagement and returning clients.

She also asked all the travel associations to come together to share knowledge and work together to create a solid network that works in unison to promote tourism to India She further stated that every industry member needs to train their counterpart in some other part of the world to sell the Incredible India experience that is waiting for them!

Further, she urged all travel associations to collaborate, share data, and form a cohesive network that works together to promote Incredible India to the world. She said, “While governments and missions do their part, the true elevation of India’s image lies in shared narratives and co-creation with travel partners.”

She concluded with a powerful call to action, that every stakeholder in India’s tourism sector should take on the role of an ambassador, training their counterparts and compatriots across the globe to sell the Indian travel experience and showcase the treasure trove waiting to be discovered!