New Delhi [India], September 27 : Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, highlighting the rapid growth of the sector on the occasion of World Tourism Day, stated that India’s vast diversity, coupled with massive infrastructural expansion, is creating unprecedented opportunities for domestic travel.
"The abundance of opportunities emerging in India, the expansion of infrastructure, and the growth of the economy, along with India's diversity emerging as a new strength, have led to a rise in tourism-related travel within the country. This has opened up new avenues of immense potential that far outweigh the challenges," Shekhawat said while speaking to reporters.
Looking ahead toward the nation's centenary of independence, Shekhawat outlined the ambitious roadmap set by the government for the upcoming decades.
"Our goal is for the tourism sector to contribute 10 per cent to India's economy by 2047, aligning with the global benchmark," the Minister added.
Emphasising the government's push for technological integration in the sector, the Union Minister announced the launch of the National Digital Tourism Stack. He acknowledged that while India previously lagged in digital infrastructure for tourism, the newly launched initiative will significantly boost the nation's global standing.
"Today, we launched the National Digital Tourism Stack. This was a major challenge for us, as we previously lagged significantly in this area. I believe that when the next rankings are released, we will see a massive jump in our position," he said.
The Ministry of Tourism celebrated World Tourism Day 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, today, in the presence of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Bhuvnesh Kumar, senior officials of the Ministry and the tourism industry representatives, according to the release.
On this occasion, the Union Minister launched the National Digital Tourism Stack and the National Mission for Alternative Destinations ­— ­­­­Dekho Apna Desh Campaign 2.0. The Ministry also exchanged five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with industry partners for joint tourism promotion and marketing.
Addressing the gathering, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, “Tourism is no longer just about visiting places; today’s travellers seek authentic experiences—local cuisine, local art, local traditions and meaningful connections that create memories, not merely photographs.” 
He further stated, “The next phase of India’s tourism journey must ensure that growth reaches beyond popular destinations, creating opportunities for local communities, entrepreneurs, women and youth while making tourism more balanced, inclusive and sustainable.”
Delivering the welcome address, Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, stated, “Artificial Intelligence, digital platforms and data-driven destination management can make tourism more accessible, responsive and personalised. India has considerable experience in Digital Public Infrastructure, and we are now looking at how these capabilities can be brought together for tourism.”
As part of the programme, Vivek Raghavan, Co-Founder, Sarvam AI, delivered the keynote address on this year’s World Tourism Day theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.” He stated that AI has the potential to transform every stage of the tourism journey — from discovering destinations and planning a trip to booking, experiencing and sharing it. The opportunity before us is to use technology to make travel more seamless, personalised and accessible, while creating a customized experience for every traveller."
The National Digital Tourism Stack, being developed in collaboration with ONDC and with the support of the International Centre for DPI Innovation and Advancement (ICDIA), aims to make India’s tourism offerings more discoverable, accessible and trustworthy. 
According to the ministry, this shared digital infrastructure will enable tourism providers to make their offerings available across participating platforms, supported by capabilities such as verified identities and supplier credentials, search and discovery, payments, ratings and grievance redressal. Envisaged as a collaborative effort involving the Ministry, States, Union Territories and industry, the programme will be implemented in phases with a pilot planned for January 2027.
The National Mission for Alternative Destinations – a mission for redistribution of tourism demand & promotion of lesser-known destinations ­— ­­­­Dekho Apna Desh Campaign 2.0 seeks to distribute tourism demand more widely by promoting tourism-ready, lesser-known destinations as alternatives or complements to destinations experiencing heavy tourist footfall. In collaboration with States and Union Territories, the initiative will identify destinations with a distinct appeal, adequate infrastructure and accommodation, and the capacity to receive additional visitors sustainably. 
The initial focus will be on hill and mountain destinations, coastal and waterfront destinations, heritage and cultural towns, and regional pilgrimage destinations.
The initiative will bring together States, Union Territories and tourism industry partners to develop bookable itineraries and packages covering accommodation, transport, meals and local experiences, while creating opportunities for artisans, self-help groups, guides and other local stakeholders. Joint promotion will adopt a social media-first approach, supported by digital campaigns and industry participation. Visitor data and feedback will inform destination management and help monitor tourist footfall against assessed carrying capacity.
On the occasion, the Ministry of Tourism also exchanged five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Airbnb India Private Limited, FlixBus India Private Limited, Glance Digital Experience Private Limited (InMobi Group), Eicher Group Foundation and MakeMyTrip (India) Limited to strengthen destination promotion, community participation and responsible tourism, according to the release. 
As per the release, the partnerships cover homestay development and host skilling with Airbnb; destination promotion and responsible travel through intercity mobility with FlixBus; digital tourism content and responsible visitor messaging with Glance; community-led, heritage-based sustainable tourism in the Himalayan region with Eicher Group Foundation; and promotion of unexplored villages, authentic local shopping and Ministry-identified travel initiatives with MakeMyTrip. The collaborations under all these five MoUs are non-commercial, non-financial, non-binding and non-exclusive.