The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, is participating at World Travel Market (WTM) London, being held from 5th – 7th November, 2024 at Excel London. United Kingdom is the second largest source market for inbound tourists to India. With a strong diaspora population of almost 1.9 million, United Kingdom has one of the biggest Indian diaspora. Ministry is participating at WTM with a delegation of almost 50 stakeholders including State Governments, inbound tour operators, airlines, hoteliers from the Indian travel industry to showcase India’s vibrant cultural diversity and the vast range of tourism products and immersive experiences. This initiative aligns with India’s strategic goal to enhance inbound tourism and position the country as a premier global travel destination.
The India Pavilion at WTM 2024 showcases the India’s rich kaleidoscope of cultures, languages, and traditions, each contributing not only to its rich tourism landscape but also the gamut of niche tourism experiences such as spiritual & wellness, wedding, adventure, ecotourism and gourmet. The focus of this year`s India pavilion is MICE, Mahakhumbh and Wedding Tourism. A special mock Mandapam in the Pavilion has been created to give the look and feel of an Indian wedding.
Besides Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, several other stakeholders including State Tourism Departments, tour operators, airlines, PSUs etc is participating in the India Pavilion at WTM. The co-participants include States of Uttarakhand, Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir, Puducherry, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, tour operators / Destination Management Companies, airline, resorts and IRCTC. State Tourism Departments from Goa, Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are also participating to showcase their unique tourism experiences and connect with potential clients and partners. The India pavilion was jointly inaugurated by the High Commissioner of India, Shri Vikram Doraiswami and Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Ms Mugdha Sinha in the presence of Smt. Parvati Parida, Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha and Tourism Ministers of Telangana, Goa and Uttarakhand.
A total number of 9.5 million foreign tourists visited India during 2023 out of which 0.92 million visits were from UK, making it the third largest source market for inbound tourists to India. The Chalo India initiative was launched by the Hon`ble Prime Minister of India to engage the Indian diaspora for promoting India to their non-Indian friends. As part of this initiative, the Indian diaspora will invite their non-Indian friends to explore the grandeur of Incredible India. The Ministry of Tourism has developed the Chalo India portal where the diaspora can register and refer their non-Indian friends to visit India. Gratis e tourist visa to the visiting foreign guests is also been given as an incentive under the program. Through this initiative, the Indian diaspora will play a vital role in promoting the country as a premier global tourist destination, showcasing its rich heritage and diverse culture to the world. In order to populate this initiative on a larger scale, and in view of UK having the 2nd largest Indian diaspora community, Ministry is starting the Chalo India promotional campaign on the sidelines of WTM, London.
Among its other initiatives, Ministry of Tourism has recently launched the ‘Incredible India Content Hub and Digital Portal’ on the revamped Incredible India digital portal on the World Tourism Day, 27th September 2024. The Incredible India Content Hub is a comprehensive digital repository for the use of diverse range of stakeholders including government officials, ambassadors, tour operators, journalists, students, researchers, film makers, authors and content creators. The Incredible India Digital Portal is a tourist-centric one stop digital solution designed to enhance the travel experience for visitors to India.
India remains the world’s fastest growing major economy and is committed to ensure that its continued growth path is equipped to deal with the challenges of climate change, its goal of achieving net-zero emission by 2070 etc. The G20 leadership year has showcased the diversity and capacity of the tourism potential of India to the world. The improvement in tourism infrastructure such as hospitality network, aviation India is poised for a leap in tourism. At the same time India is committed to the G20 Goa Roadmap for developing sustainable and nature positive, pro planet and green tourism destinations.
