World Travel & Tourism Council India Initiative has welcomed the union budget 2025-26 proposals presented by the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman in the parliament for its alignment with the transformative vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, emphasizing inclusive growth, robust infrastructure development, and a decisive push for private sector participation to drive economic resilience.
In a statement, Deep Kalra, Chairman, WTTCII, commended the government’s continued focus on elevating India’s tourism ecosystem. “The increased allocation of INR 2,541.07 crore for the Ministry of Tourism, coupled with a significant rise in capital expenditure, underscores a clear intent to enhance tourism infrastructure. Flagship initiatives like Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and the expansion of regional connectivity under UDAN are pivotal to fostering sustainable domestic tourism and unlocking untapped regional potential.”
Kalra also emphasised: “From an industry perspective, there was a strong expectation for an enhanced international marketing budget to support India’s growing ambitions as a global tourism hub. In the current landscape, where global tourism is witnessing a robust rebound, India’s international visibility is crucial to attracting high-value travellers. This highlights the urgent need for an empowered, strategically driven India Tourism Board to amplify India’s global footprint. Such a body can spearhead effective branding, strategic partnerships, and targeted marketing to position India as a premier year-round destination on the world tourism map.” “The budget introduces positive measures for hospitality, travel services, and aviation, including performance-linked incentives for states, streamlined e-visa facilitation, and tax reforms to bolster the aviation sector. These are commendable steps towards enhancing domestic travel and tourism competitiveness.” said Jyotsna Suri, vice chairperson, WTTCII, adding, “To truly harness India’s global tourism potential, there is a need for more targeted interventions in areas like international tourism promotion, aviation sector resilience and development of international cruise tourism around India’s 7500 km coastline.”