Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and various stakeholders including tour operators and state tourism departments participated in one of the important international travel exhibitions held at Singapore to promote inbound tourism to India globally including the Asia Pacific region.  The exhibition – ITB Asia started on  25^th October 2023 and is on till 27^th October. Ministry of Tourism is leading the participation of the Indian industry at the exhibition, which draws the travel trade business and stakeholders from across the globe and particularly from the Aisa Pacific region,  to showcase varied tourism products and a series of transformative experiences for travellers to India under the theme ‘Incredible India! Visit India Year 2023’.

      The Incredible India pavilion was inaugurated by H.E. Dr Shilpak Ambule, the High Commissioner of India to Singapore. As a part of its promotional efforts in conjunction with the Indian Missions overseas, the objective of the participation of the Ministry of Tourism at the exhibition is to garner the attention of both the media and the industry towards India as a lucrative destination with various different thematic products of adventure, wellness, Himalayas, eco-tourism, sustainable tourism and exotic wildlife. Within the Incredible India pavilion at ITB Asia, there were Destination Management  Companies (DMCs) including Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Hyderabad International Convention Centre who showcased their products and services and had fruitful interactions with potential clients and partners. The State Government of Goa as well as UT administrations of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry also participated to showcase their respective tourism products.  

                This year has been declared as the Visit India Year 2023 to focus on the positioning of India as a preferred destination at the targeted potential international markets. Singapore along with the South East Asia region is a signification market for India, specifically for Buddhist tourism. The excellent connectivity of India with the region, with approximately around 150 fights between the two countries, every week, is an added advantage. 

            The focus of the Ministry of Tourism is also on promotion of sustainable tourism and mainstreaming sustainability into the tourism sector.  India has launched a national strategy for sustainable tourism with an aim to mainstream sustainability in the Indian tourism sector and to ensure more resilient, inclusive, carbon-neutral, and resource-efficient tourism while safeguarding natural and cultural resources. The strategy has seven key pillars that focus on promoting environment, economic and socio-cultural sustainability, protecting biodiversity and creating awareness through skill development and entrepreneurship. The Travel for LiFE program under Mission LiFE has accordingly been developed to bring large-scale behavioural change amongst tourists and tourism businesses, which will significantly impact environment protection and climate action. The program holds tremendous significance for promoting India’s G20 priority of Green Tourism under the Tourism Working Group. The program has identified an illustrative list of “Travel for LiFE Actions”, which can be adopted by tourists and tourism businesses.