Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, identified domestic tourism as India’s most significant asset during the TV9 Network Travel and Tourism Summit. He contrasted India’s robust domestic tourism with that of popular international destinations like Dubai, Singapore, and Thailand. Several dignitaries participated in the summit.
Shekhawat pointed out that India saw over 2 crore tourists this year. He underscored the substantial domestic tourism market as a key differentiator. He suggested that including the recent Kumbh Mela data would push the figure past 300 crore, attributing the sector’s growth to Indian tourists.
He emphasized the Kumbh Mela as a representation of India’s cultural and spiritual prowess. Shekhawat acknowledged that the recovery of the tourism sector after the pandemic was a joint effort by the government and stakeholders. He expressed his vision for India to become a global cultural and spiritual leader through tourism, in addition to being an economic power.