India to become hub for spiritual and religious tourism

India has an opportunity and potential to become a hub for spiritual and religious tourism, as the government is all geared up and focused towards showcasing the strength of the religions and philosophies of India to the world, said Rupinder Brar, Additional DG, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.

She was speaking at a session virtually on the ‘Investment Opportunities in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality’ held recently during the ‘Tourism Fortnight’ at the India Pavilion, EXPO2020 Dubai.

“Tourism has exponential possibilities to boost the entire services industry in the next decade. Being the largest service industry of the country, it has a high impact on employment, export earnings and regional development and thus is a key engine of India’s growth story,” she added.

Making a strong pitch for investment opportunities available in the Indian Tourism sector, Smt. Brar said, “Despite the pandemic, India saw an inflow of USD 2.93 billion of investment in tourism, as compared to US$ 1.07 billion in the financial year 2019. In terms of the market size and business potential, there is a huge untapped business opportunity available in the Indian Tourism sector.”

Shilpa Gupta, Addl. Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board said “The state of Madhya Pradesh is a microcosm of everything that India has to offer to the world. I would like to invite all the potential investors to come and invest in the tourism sector of the state.”

Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha in his virtual address said that tourism is one of the key sectors for the state of Odisha. The state has a very diverse tourism offering, starting from religious places to coastlines and wetlands to wildlife.

A session on Luxury Tourism was also organised by the Ministry of Tourism on 6^th January, wherein it focused on showcasing the changing face of luxury tourism in India, luxury tourist destinations across the country and initiatives taken by the Government to make travel safe and secure. The session was attended by Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Culture & Public Relations, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, Sumita Saroch, Joint Director – Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, Nikhil Desai, Managing Director, Goa Tourism Development Corporation & Prateek Hira, Chairman, FICCI Tourism Committee, UP State Council and President & CEO, Tornos. The session was moderated by Pronab Sarkar, Immediate Past President, Indian Association of Tour Operators.

Nestled at the Al Forsan Park adjacent to the ‘Opportunity’ district of the Expo 2020 Dubai, India Pavilion is created on the theme of “Openness. Opportunity. Growth.”
Under this, the pavilion will be focusing on 11 primary themes – Climate and Biodiversity, Space, Urban and Rural Development, Tolerance and Inclusivity, Golden Jubilee, Knowledge and Learning, Travel and Connectivity, Global Goals, Health and Wellness, Food Agriculture and Livelihoods, and Water, each having a dedicated zone all underneath one gigantic roof.

The Tourism Week will conclude on January 15, 2022.